"Normally, I'd say it's good to see you Fury but I've heard you're looking for a friend of mine and you won't take no for an answer." Steve squared his shoulders.
"Good to see you too Cap. Although rumor has it…you're not Cap anymore."
"I made a choice." He shook his head. "No regrets. So what do you want with my friend?"
"Your friend is a wanted man."
"I think we are all well aware of that. Why is he wanted by you?"
"We have credible intelligence that Hydra has renewed their interest in Sergeant Barnes."
"How credible?"
"Straight from Hydra." Sharon interjected. "We raided a splinter operation in the Ukraine; we have solid evidence of intention to recover the asset." She quickly added "Their word, not mine."
"That's not exactly news." Sam added. "How specific is it?"
Fury picked up "They knew he was in Wakanda just after their base in Siberia was compromised."
Sam and Steve exchanged a look.
"You still haven't answered why you're looking for Bucky? Sharon was insistent he be here today. Why couldn't you go through me?" Steve's voice was tense.
Fury sighed "We need his help, Steve. Hydra is growing again. We are falling behind."
Sharon added "But the recovered intel had some disturbing plans. It would be better for him, you, and us, if he came into protective custody."
"Protective custody?" Sam laughed.
"More disturbing than what they've done to him so far?" Steve pushed.
Fury picked up "Oh, yeah, they want to reprogram him as the Winter Soldier but they were highly disappointed in the loss of their investment in Siberia; they want to restart that program."
"How would Barnes be part of that?" Natasha was skeptical.
Sharon answered "There's evidence of fledgling research for regeneration and stem cell use." She paused then added "Even cloning."
"Cloning?" Sam blurted out then groaned "Clones of Barnes?" He stifled a laugh when Steve shot him a frustrated look.
Steve pressed "How do you know any of this? Are you speculating or is there evidence?"
Sharon handed Steve a folder. "These are photos of the documents we found. There were specific plans; his name is there, Steve. So is yours. They want him back for these experiments and more."
Steve looked through the photos. He had to fight down the urgent regret of "We should have run."
Then one phrase drew him in. "The asset remembers everything."
Steve forced out a breath "His memories?"
Natasha and Sam crossed to look over his shoulders.
"What?" Sam was incredulous.
Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Now they want him to remember?"
Steve looked grim "70 years of wiping his memory and now this?"
Sam looked at Fury and added "Ah, you know, he can barely remember to brush his teeth."
Natasha smirked as Steve shot him another frustrated look.
Sharon picked up "He has 70 years of Hydra history and contacts in his head; after the fall of Project Insight and Shield, they are looking to regroup by mining old data. They believe he is the key to that data."
Sam exchanged a worried look with Steve as they both thought about Bucky's wall of information; still sitting there, unprotected.
"Sharon was quite insistent that Bucky come to this meeting, why?" Steve pressed.
Fury explained "As I've said, we need his help. But we feel he needs protection."
"So you think we can't protect him?" Natasha sounded offended.
"We think your security is lacking to say the least." Sharon was firm in her challenge.
"Not an issue any more." Sam defended. "Besides he trusts us."
Sharon quizzed him "Really? He trusts you?"
Fury interrupted "We found evidence that Hydra is planning on offering a bounty for his capture. Three million dollars. Now it's not out there yet but if that happens, every mercenary and bounty hunter will be on his tail."
Steve frowned "You said protective custody. I can't help but feel that implies locking him up."
Sharon and Fury exchanged a glance as she answered softly "We feel he needs a secure location that would protect him and get him the help he needs. I know it might sound harsh but The Raft would be the safest place."
There was a spontaneous unified response:
"Absolutely not." Steve blurted out.
"No way!" Sam huffed.
"Over my dead body." Natasha hissed.
"He would go there voluntarily, Steve." Fury added.
Sharon added "He could get the help he needs there." She moved within an arm's length of Steve "We know he had a break down, that he's not stable."
"He had a hard time for awhile and now he's better. That's old news." Steve wanted to end the discussion about Bucky's psyche.
Fury pushed "If he's not stable…he's still vulnerable. If he's on the run how safe is he? How soon before they catch him and how much do you think he can take before they break him again?" He said out loud what all of them were thinking.
Fury went on "You've been living in an isolated house with lax security. Once we picked up your unsecured messages it was easy to find you, and him. As Sharon has said; Find Rogers and you find Barnes. Even Hydra knows that. You may not be able to protect him."
Steve couldn't help but think they already knew Bucky had run. He glanced at Natasha, she nodded; Steve signaled an end to the meeting with "I'll talk to him about your offer, I wouldn't count on his coming in, but I'll talk to him."
"Steve…." Sharon tried to push but Fury redirected "That's all we can ask Rogers."
"Shit, Steve we need to get rid of that wall of info asap." Sam was agitated about their security issues as they regrouped near the airport.
"We need to find Bucky." Steve sighed.
Natasha frowned "They know he's gone."
Sam and Steve nodded in agreement.
She went on "He has a comm Steve. I caught the signal on the way over here but it dropped away; we'll get it again. We'll talk to him; warn him even if he won't come home."
"We'll keep monitoring the burner phone and the credit card." Sam was determined.
"Maybe Fury's right, maybe we can't protect him." Steve worried.
"I trust Fury, Steve, and I will work with him, but The Raft? Not an option. No matter what, Barnes wouldn't trust anyone but you." Natasha reassured him.
Steve nodded at her gratefully then added "I'm going to stop at the clinic to tell Cassie in case he contacts her…and warn her, they may be at risk. If Fury knows about them, there's a good chance Hydra does as well."
Sam added as he started the truck "I got the wall and the phone."
Natasha smiled "I got the comm and Bucky."
Sam called to Steve as they drove off "Hey, they can lay low with us; Bucky will come home just to defend his hoard of Ben and Jerry's."
Luckily Steve didn't hear over the roar of the bike as he sped off to warn Cassie.
Drink the water, child. You're dehydrated.
"Leave…me….alone." Bucky choked out, past dust and dryness.
It isn't poison, dear, drink the water.
Bucky let out a low growl as he tried to move his head.
Stop that disgusting noise, you're not an animal.
He was hunched over on his elbows and knees on a dirt floor; his head resting on the ground between his forearms. "Don't puke, do not puke..." ran through his head.
Come now, drink the water…it's right there in front of you.
He heard her change positions from behind him; moving to his right.
The effect of the tranquilizers and chloroform had rocked his head; the pounding in his ears sounded like the chopper blades still overhead. "Damn I hate this part."
Refusing to drink water doesn't hurt me, it only hurts you. You want to regain your strength don't you? Start by drinking the water.
Bucky groaned then spit out low and angry "Shut the fuck up."
The sudden zap of a stun prod hitting an object broke the quiet as the woman barked Language, Soldat!
Bucky felt a familiar rush of anxiety run through his body.
That was a warning. The next time you speak to me that way, Soldat, I will be applying its bite to your skin.
Bucky choked back a sob. "Don't you dare fuckin' cry. Barnes, do not give her that satisfaction." He cursed at himself.
He was able to lift his head off the floor and get his eyes to flutter open. He could feel that his clothes and sneakers were gone; he was wearing a T shirt and boxers. "Fuck…she undressed me…I'm gonna kill her…" hot anger filled his mind.
"Did you fucking enjoy that?...Undressing me? ….Did it get you hot?" he hissed. He could hear her move again; closer. He forced his head to follow her slow pace around him as his vision blurred, hampered by his loose hair and the drugs. "Shit. Here it comes. Gonna pay for that…" he groaned as the fire of the stun raced up his left arm and tore through his body. He bit his tongue trying to keep from screaming. The jolt left him curled on his side, shivering in the aftershocks.
Steve couldn't sleep. It was 3am; his thoughts were overwhelmed by the hurt on Bucky's face the last time he saw him. "Damn, I keep screwing this up." He moaned. It had been a full three days since the meeting with Fury. No word or sign of Bucky.
He tossed in the bed as he replayed Cassie's words "He'll be ok for a few days but abrupt withdrawal will be very hard. It would be important for him to get back on them soon, Steve." All he could think about was Bucky's impending descent into the darkness.
Steve found himself on the deck; "Slow down, deep breaths; get your shit together." He chided himself. He turned his gaze to the stars. "Why didn't I tell you how I felt about you?"
He heard Bucky's voice snark in his head "You're such a dumb ass."
"I know, I know….I should've run with you, Buck, I'm sorry."
Steve grabbed the deck railing, hunched his shoulders and consciously slowed his breathing before he whispered;
"I need you Buck. Come home, pal, please come home."
Steve felt Bucky slip away. He couldn't fight the rising fear that Bucky was in trouble and wasn't staying away by choice. The 3am solitude made it clear: "I will follow you down to hell if I have to….and bring you home again, pal. Don't give up."
We should not have to do it this way, child. We've been over this. I don't want to hurt you.
Bucky rasped out a laugh. "But you're so good at it. Seems like a waste of your talents to just do what you want." He rolled slowly to his knees and spit out the blood. His head was spinning from the jolt of the stun.
He pushed himself upright, resting his butt on his ankles; and turned his gaze towards the woman standing a few feet away from him.
You've been gone too long, Soldier. Your keepers are worried about you.
"I bet they are." He murmured.
We have much work to do before they come for you. I trust you will not be difficult.
"I plan on being very difficult." He growled.
There is no point to senseless violence.
"I agree completely. So let's make a pact, no violence towards one another."
You know you will break in the end so don't waste our time together with pointless resistance.
Bucky closed his eyes to try and force down his growing fears.
"I could reach her if I lunged hard and fast." He blinked to clear his vision. "I could crush her even with that damn prod" he told himself. He watched her slowly pace near him. "She was always a wiry little vulture…that ain't changed."
With his clearing vision he realized, there were thick metal bars separating them. He was in a cage; ten feet by ten feet with a welded cage top; the whole thing anchored to a concrete foundation.
He settled his gaze on his captor; the years had left their mark; but her eyes were still the same. Her darkness was still there, dragging him back in; the dread he always carried connected with its roots.
It was an old game they played; she demands…he refuses…she hurts him…repeat. She had always won. As their eyes assessed one another once again, Bucky vowed "Not this time; no matter what you do to me; you ain't gonna win this time."
Natasha walked the ridge south of the house. "You certainly didn't forget your training, Barnes" as she marveled at the lack of any signs that he had been there. She had methodically scoured the hillside for hours without finding even a protein bar wrapper. "You'd make the Boy Scouts proud" she huffed.
She jiggled the comm in her ear and searched for signals on her phone.
"Come on, Barnes, I know you're out here. This isn't funny anymore. Steve's heartbroken…you need to give this up and come home."
She tripped over a root and fell to one knee. "I bet you thought that was funny. Ha. Ha. Jerk." She was tired and hungry and pissed that he would stay hidden for this long. "Unless… you're not here."
"Barnes….no joking around…things are damn serious here. Hydra's on your tail, no matter how much you're pissed at us, you know you can trust us….you know Steve would never let anyone take you or hurt you ever again." Rising desperation was betrayed in her voice.
Bucky didn't answer, but she thought she heard static. She tracked the signal; up a slope; through thick underbrush; past a line of pine trees and into a large clearing at the peak of a hill. The signal from the comm jumped to active.
"Active comm….but no Barnes?"
She forced her anxiety into a focused search and talking to Barnes.
"Barnes…he loves you…you know that don't you?" Footprints…sneakers….he didn't cover his tracks?
"I see the way you look at him, when you think no one is watching." She examined the ground: signs of scuffle?
"You do realize he moved the world off its axis to find you?" She took a picture: a hoofprint?
"You know he walked away from being Captain America for you?" Was that blood on the ground?
"You boys don't even know it yet, do you? So dense, the two of you. How much you were meant to be together." The comm signal was 4 bars now.
"Barnes. Something tells me you are in a deep shit right about now." She picked Bucky's comm out of the dirt at her feet.
So what's your plan here, woman? He growled out at her in Russian.
The plan, Soldat, is to help you remember your glorious work over the past 70 years.
"What the fu….what are you talking about?" he caught himself.
Your keepers want your memories. I am here to help you remember. She moved to the far end of the cage and pointed the prod at a water bottle on the floor. Drink the water.
"I don't want the fuc….water." he thought better of swearing again.
You're weak; too thin; you never even heard the chopper approach; pathetic. She waved a dismissive hand towards him.
"I can't believe I agree with you…' he mumbled.
"And you're going to fix all that, how? By chaining me up?" he spit at her. He grabbed at the chain cuffed around his left wrist; it snaked out of the cage and was bolted to a metal cross beam. She was standing next to it, stun prod in hand.
The chain is a necessary precaution, child. You have proven yourself to be unruly in the past; no sense in wasting time.
"You really think that chain is going to hold me?" Bucky snarled as he reached for the metal bars and dragged himself to his feet in front of her. "You really think this cage will hold me for long?"
I have full confidence in the chain and the cage; they are made of vibranium; the same material that your precious friend's shield is made of. You won't be breaking it any time soon.
Bucky didn't want to bite…didn't want to bring Steve into this mess even in words. He huffed out a laugh but groaned "Shit" to himself.
"Yeah, enough with the Russian…I don't really understand it much anymore." "I know you speak English, so how 'bout we go with that." He lied; desperate to gain ground. "So you want me to remember my glorious work?" He mocked her voice. She moved the stun prod hand to hand.
Your memories are a precious commodity, Soldat.
"What?" he feigned.
"You need to be obedient, Soldat. You do not ask the questions."
"Like you? Be obedient like you?" He started to pace down the cage, grabbing each bar with his metal hand. "That's worked out so well for you." He mocked again. "You ended up here, in Upstate New York torturing people, same job, different century. I thought you aspired to more?" He smirked at her as he reached the end of the chain.
"I have always been a good soldier. That is my place." She asserted.
"Of course you have. Always a good little soldier." He reached for the far end of the cage; testing the limits of his chain; he couldn't touch the door.
"You should be proud of the work you've done; your skills, your strength, and now your memories will serve your master. You are their asset."
"I fucking hate that word" he raged in his head as he turned to pace back towards her.
"Drink some water; it's been nearly two days." She pushed the bottle towards him with the end of the stun prod.
"You just said I was weak, pathetic; how you gonna fix that? By torturing me? You're gonna stun me into remembering? That otta work well. You think running electricity through my arm is gonna make it work better?" He hauled angrily on the chain, trying to test its limits.
"Corrections, Pasha, not torture. I do not enjoy this." She chided gently.
"What the fu…." He stopped himself again. "Her fucking corrections are working" he groused to himself. He rounded the cell again; searching his surroundings for failings; for clues to his potential for escape.
"Back to the plan….You think I'm just gonna remember everything I've done over the past 70 years? We can just sit here and reminisce? Is that the plan?" His voice cracked from dryness and anger.
"I can help you remember, Soldat." Her voice was low and cold.
He growled "I know you can, woman." A shudder ran through him as he stopped pacing and looked down at his bare feet "You can do this Barnes. You can fight her this time."
Her voice broke into his thoughts "I need you to cooperate, child. It will be so much easier for you, for both of us, if you just tell me what you remember." She moved along the bars slowly approaching him.
Sam was listening to Natasha's Barnes monologue. He paused in his intel work when she said "Steve loves you." He pushed aside his comm mic; he felt the need to talk to himself.
"This self dialogue shit is catching….Barnes." he groused.
"I hate to tell you this, big guy, but you really did remember a lot of details about Hydra."
He resumed cataloguing the details; matching it to Fury's details.
"Some of this goes back to the 1960's pal." That thought made him feel sick.
"No wonder you puke…."
"Barnes, you're a traveling man….I think you've been on every continent over the years."
Sam tried to not let in the thoughts about how he traveled the world; how he moved through the years to end up here in 2017 still looking like a young man.
"Ok, pal let's focus on the most recent stuff….that Ukraine cell was kind of isolated and new…not in your data…but…they reference an old contact….as old as your sorry ass, it seems…but…looks like they got a dead-end…no literally…that operative was dead; maybe."
Where are you Barnes?" Sam couldn't focus. He pulled the comm mic back into place.
"Barnes, you need to get your ass back here right now…you can keep the damn watch, just come home."
Turn the fear into anger, Soldier.
"Welcome back, asshole." Bucky snarled at the Voice. "Bout time you showed up."
He turned his attention back to the woman.
"What I remember? You mean Brooklyn…crowded; poor; art classes." He kept Steve tucked deep in his head. Protected.
He resumed pacing. "Or the war? Horrifying; dirty; a pathetic little man shooting crap into my arm."
NO Soldier. Those are the memories she wants; don't let her in there.
"Right….what I remember….a truck dragging me…get up soldier….run or die…"
Tell her about Steve…tell her the good memories
"No fucking way….not Steve…she'll use it against me…whose side are you on anyway."
"Soldat. What are you talking about." The woman rapped the stun prod on the metal bars shaking him from his conversation with the Voice.
He stopped pacing and faced her. For a moment he thought he saw a younger version of her; dark hair worn short, hard eyes, matronly even at her younger age.
"What?" He shook his head then murmured "Right…what I remember…a tube in my nose to force feed me… strap me down to examine my body…" his anger was being diluted by the wave of painful memories; overwhelming him.
Wake up Soldier….you're dropping your guard. You know you can't do that with this one.
He shook his head hard, his hair flipped across his face. He reached again for his anger.
"I remember you, woman." He took a step towards her.
"I remember what you did." He kept stalking towards her.
"I remember your words, your face; your touch." He stood in front of her separated by less than a foot and firm metal bars.
"Those are not the memories I need, Soldat. I will ask you the questions. You will answer. You know how this works, Pasha. We are both too tired and old to fight. My will is so much stronger than yours. No sense making this harder on yourself." A clear look of disdain crossed her face.
He spit out Stupid woman. as he suddenly slammed his metal fist into the bar directly in front of her face. He was gratified to see her jump…even if he had to pay the price for it.
Steve got a call about the stolen credit card. "Where? You said it was used where?"
Sam and Natasha stopped reviewing the photos Nat had taken at the clearing.
"Ok…great…thanks." He hung up and looked at them blankly.
"The suspense is killing us, Steve." Sam spoke for both of them.
"Brooklyn….he tried to use it in Brooklyn….close to where we grew up." Steve sat at the island and stared at them.
"You think he'd go there?" Sam asked.
"I'm not buying it." Natasha added. "It doesn't fit the picture we're building here."
Steve shook his head. "So damn tired." He thought but said out loud "Maybe he would try to go home, his real home."
Sam glanced at Natasha then "Steve, remember what we've found here. The video evidence of a chopper in the area that day; the comm in the dirt; Nat's photos of footprints, blood, a fight, a damn hoof print; never mind the horse shit she stepped in on the way back."
Natasha mumbled "Stepped in worse than that;" then changed pace. "We've practically put up a "Come home Barnes" banner on the roof and nothing. Even without the medications I think he would have come back by now if he could."
Steve countered "It's been over 10 days…the medications are out of his system by now…there's no telling what he's thinking anymore. Remember he never came looking for me after Project Insight, there's no reason to think he'd come looking now."
It was hard for them to see Steve so despondent.
"I'm going for a run." He suddenly said. Natasha and Sam looked at one another.
"We'll go with you." Sam offered.
Natasha shook her head "Not me, I'm with Barnes on this one….running is a waste of good shoes. Besides I'm going to call Sharon and shake her down for more information. Honestly Steve, I don't know what you saw in her?" she complained.
Steve looked at her a little surprised "Ah, you tried to fix us up, remember?"
She huffed a dismissal and picked up the phone.
Sam groaned out "Do not go to Brooklyn" as they ran the dirt roads heading north of the house. Steve kept running forward then back again to continue the conversation.
"How do I ignore that lead, Sam."
"We don't ignore it, we enter it into our calculations. It just happened, yeah, but by the time we get there he'll be gone and we'll spend the next 3 years chasing a ghost again."
Steve knew Sam was right about the need to work smarter not harder.
He ran ahead again passing a split rail fence; a barn in the distance; another old farmhouse. He let in a thought of how peaceful it all seemed; when something caught his eye at the edge of the field. It looked vaguely familiar; he stopped running to examine it closer.
"Sam! Come on…get up here."
Steve was holding a mangled item when Sam caught up. "What is that piece of trash?"
"It's Bucky's water bottle."
"Yeah…so he dropped it?"
"Sam…look…" Steve pointed to the field.
Just a few feet away grazing peacefully was a big black horse.
Hope it was worth it, pal
Bucky choked out a small laugh. "Oh, it was worth it alright." He was lying on his back sprawled on the dirt floor shaking off the aftermath of the shock. When enough of his senses floated back he rolled onto his side and slowly pushed up to his knees. "We've done all this before haven't we? Some things never change." He staggered back to his feet "Old methods; for an old woman." He snarled out the last words.
"Pasha, I don't want to hurt you but will indeed hurt you to get what I want. You know this."
He felt a strangely familiar tremor return; he had an unsettling thought: "Shit…the medications." He pushed to keep going before his sanity slipped away. "Come on, let's get started…this is boring." He turned sharply away from her to resume his pacing. "Where's the chair? You got that hidden somewhere?" He mock strained to look beyond the cage.
"There is no chair." She shook her head and walked along beside him.
"No chair? Right. You have the prod…who needs a bulky chair when it can be portable."
"This tool is for corrections not wiping your memory."
"You actually clarified that?" He laughed sarcastically.
"Ok. No chair…that's right…torture, beatings, deprivation then the chair. Sorry, my brain is kinda fried after all these years so I get the sequence out of order." He wagged his head making his hair shake side to side.
"NO. There is no chair." She added unconsciously "That was always a filthy tool."
"Filthy? Really?" He turned to pace back the way he came. "You didn't object at the time I seem to recall. Of course, my memory isn't as great as you'd like."
She kept walking along side him, matching his steps.
He kept up his rant "I remember you watching and smiling. I remember how you talked me into submitting to it." His tremor worsened.
He stopped suddenly and faced her again. She stopped as well. "I saw your face; your eyes." The plates adjusted ominously. "I remember how you enjoyed it; I remember how it got you excited to see my pain." He stepped closer to the bars nearly touching them. "I remember you only smiled when you hurt me." He snarled low as he slowly reached a metal finger to touch her face.
"Be careful, my Soldat, you overstep your boundaries." She warned darkly.
"I'm not your soldier. Not any more." He growled as he dropped his hand.
"No? Who's the one in the cage then? Not me." She dismissed him.
"OK. Forget the chair." He turned to pace away again; she didn't follow him. "You always preferred that prod, up close and personal shocking, better that way for you. That's right." He gestured a bit wildly at his own head "I nearly forgot, the prod is better; you get to feel the power of the shock as it tears through my body." His voice was cracking. "It makes you feel powerful, doesn't it? Such a pathetic little shriveled old woman." He spit out the words as he crossed directly towards her again. "You get to bring the soldier to his knees with a flick of your wrist." He hissed at her.
The sound of the stun prod powering up, drove a wave of apprehension through him.
"Stop it, child. You have no idea what is going on here." She whispered.
"I have no idea" he rasped out as he stood in front of her again "You're joking…I am locked in a cage with a chain on me. I'm nearly naked here and your threatening me with a fucking stun prod just so you can get wet….I think I know exactly what …"
The fire of the stun cut off his words as Bucky couldn't help but scream this time. The shock drove him to his knees writhing as the pain seared through him. When the brunt of the shock began to abate he screamed out "Fuck you, just fuck you…" the second wave of pain took away his consciousness.
"Sam what are you seeing?"
"No activity here. No vehicles in the driveway and no heat signatures in the house or barn."
Natasha added "It could be shielded or they could be in the basement."
Steve absently added "Copy that."
Fury came on the comm "This could be viable, folks. It took some deep digging but the woman who rented it has ties to the Ukraine group."
Steve fought down his anger as he thought about Bucky being in Hydra's hands for nearly two weeks now. Right next door.
"Ok, Natasha you take the barn; I've got the front; Sharon you're on the back."
Sam added "I'll be watching over all of you" as he swooped in overhead.
Fury reminded them "I'm just down the driveway bonding with your medical man, we'll get any stragglers."
Fury nodded at Jonah. "You know how to use that thing?" He pointed at the Walther ppk Jonah was carrying.
"Unfortunately, I do. Not that I will use it to kill anyone. But I can hit a kneecap at 30 feet if that counts."
"Works for me." Fury shrugged.
Bucky pulled himself slowly onto his knees. His head was spinning so badly he could barely keep his eyes open and when he did…he puked. He crawled to the corner of the cage to prop himself against the bars, curled in on himself; hugging his knees.
"You already know how this works, Pasha. What happens next is your choice." She spoke softly near his ear.
He jumped at her voice.
"матушка needs your cooperation, child. It will be so much easier for both of us." She put her hand on the bar near his head; her fingers slowly began to touch his hair. He didn't move away.
"You don't have to do this, матушка." He whispered hoarsely.
She leaned her forehead against the bars; so close to his head they nearly touched. "I am a good soldier, my child. I have no choice in this." Her fingers continued to stroke his hair.
Bucky closed his eyes and turned his head towards her. He felt her lips gently brush his temple. The tears that came couldn't be stopped; he tried, but there were too many memories that pushed them out.
"I have only done what a good soldier would do. I have tried to help you, child. I have warned you time and again. All you need to do is answer my questions; be obedient; you don't have to do this, child."
Bucky sighed 'Always the good soldier…be obedient…do what you're told. No matter who gets hurt or betrayed." He pushed himself away from her touch and leaned forward to put his head on his knees.
"Yes. That is a good soldier." She sat back watching him. "Something you have never learned, except through pain."
"Except through wiping my memory away. And even then it didn't really work so well, did it?" He countered as he lifted his head and tried to stretch out his cramping body.
He adjusted his legs to sit cross-legged; and let his head hang low again to control the nauseating spin it was in. He whispered "Tell me, woman, do you dream? Do the dead come to haunt you?" "Do you feel guilt or shame or are you dead inside?" He was actually curious. "Tell me. I wont tell anyone you answered a question. It'll be our secret." He half-heartedly mocked her. He wanted to tell her about his demons; the Voice; the nightmares. He wondered if he was the only one. But she already knew too much about what hurt him.
A pinging noise from a perimeter alarm disrupted their conversation. Bucky barely acknowledged it; but the woman heard it. She reached for a rag in her pocket with one hand and grabbed a fist full of his hair with the other. Her words floated down with him into unconsciousness "I sleep like a bear in winter, Soldat" as she yanked his head back and covered his face with the chloroform cloth.
"Steve, I'm in the barn. First pass is clear. I'm going in deeper." Natasha slowly moved through the barn, guns ready; carefully clearing each stall.
"Copy that. Front door is unlocked." Steve stood to one side of the door, his back to the wall. He turned the knob and pushed the door open…nothing happened. The gun he reluctantly held was a last minute decision. Nat had convinced him "Anything to get Bucky back, right?" He quickly moved inside, holding his gun steady, sweeping left to right.
"No activity anywhere around the house." Sam updated.
"Back door also unlocked. I'm on the back porch." Sharon added as she carefully crossed into the kitchen. The air was filled with the smell of spoiled food.
Natasha's voice came across the comm "I'm not finding anything in here. Steve. The floor appears to be dirt. The loft is empty. This barn is a dead end. I'm coming up to the house."
"Ok, Nat. I'm in the living room. No signs of recent activity here."
"I think we need to get to the basement, Steve." Sharon added as she moved through the house.
"I agree with that. Nat can you access the basement through the outside? Sharon and I are at the basement door inside."
"Copy that. I'm at the bulkhead doors."
Sam touched down near her and ran up beside her "I'm with Nat."
Steve set his jaw and glanced at Sharon. She nodded her readiness.
"On three…1…2…3"
They tore open the doors to the basement and stormed in.
The woman climbed the basement stairs and entered the kitchen.
You're early. She snapped.
We want our property. You're taking too long. The man was tasting the pot of stew on the stove.
You want his memory. His cooperation. This takes time. It isn't the same as wiping his brain and shoving him out the door to fight. One must be gentle at times, balance the hurt with kindness to win him over.
You're too soft. You've lost your touch old woman. Just use the words to trigger him and be done with it.
I may be an old woman but I know what I'm doing, I know him. I know how to manipulate him. You need to be patient. I have nearly three weeks; that was our contract. She crossed to the door to show him out.
You have 10 days. Then we come for him. Memories or not. We can always wipe him and start over. Or just kill him and be done with this dirty American. He laughed. Not before we get a few samples for future work of course. He stood over her for a moment smirking before he disappeared out the door.
She grimaced as she crossed to the stove…checked the stew…then grabbed the heated pot with her bare hands and tossed it against the wall. " дерьмо."
Steve slammed his fist through the basement door. He ripped down a wall of shelves in the basement convinced there would be a hidden door. He pounded on every wall and floor looking for secret tunnels, compartments, openings; anything that would lead him to finding Bucky. In the end he wasn't there.
"Steve…we've found some good leads…." Natasha tried to talk to him. But he walked out the front door, stalked past Fury and headed for the bike.
"Is he going to be ok?" Fury asked with some concern.
Natasha shook her head. "We need to find Barnes." She headed to the pile of data and pushed it into a box.
Jonah stood by the bike as the team had instructed, he was technically a non-combatant even though he was there to offer back-up since Steve wouldn't allow any of Fury's hired help to be part of this.
"I'm sorry he wasn't here." Jonah offered.
Steve couldn't speak. He just wanted to get on the bike and drive for the next thousand hours. His mind was screaming with anger; his face flushed hot. He looked for the keys to the bike but they were missing.
"Have you seen the keys?" He tersely asked Jonah.
"Well, yeah I have. They're here. He showed them to Steve."
"Ok I'll take them thanks."
"Ah, no. I think maybe we should talk first." Jonah said softly.
"Talk? No talking. Give me the fucking keys."
"You're angry, rightly so. But it is ill-advised to drive while blindly angry."
"With all due respect, Jonah. Go fuck yourself. Give me the keys."
"With all due respect, Mr Rogers. No. When we find James he'll want you to be the first person he sees. He will be gravely disappointed if you're dead."
"I could take them from you." Steve threatened. "You most definitely could but I don't think you will."
Steve glared at him. "Give me the keys. I don't want to hurt you but I will if I have to."
Jonah looked at him sadly. "I don't believe you would hurt me. That would make you just like the people that have your friend and that's the last thing you want I'd guess."
Steve stared hard at him for a long time. Then he turned away; not wanting Jonah to see him break down. He walked down the driveway towards the road heading home.
A few minutes later he heard the bike. "How about a ride? How's that for a compromise?" Jonah asked as he pulled along side.
Steve nodded in agreement, too exhausted to argue; he climbed on behind him. He held onto his jacket as they headed down the road. Jonah took the bike towards the highway and opened it up enough to feel its strength and comfort.
Steve dropped his head onto the medic's back and held on; Jonah pretended he didn't feel the sobs; he never felt the tears; he never heard Steve whisper Bucky's name over and over.
Your plan is working well, Soldat.
"I got her right where I want her" he stuttered out.
"Oh and by the way, you piece of shit…where have you been while I've been getting my ass kicked?"
Right here, pal, gathering intel of course.
"Right. Please do share."
You've missed quite a few doses of the medications…the ghosts are coming.
"Thanks….I don't know what I'd do without you."
Bucky was shivering curled in the corner of the cell. "Getting old, pal…used to be able to deal with being half naked on a cold night a lot better than this."
You know the medications aren't just for the voices, correct?
"When did you become the voice of reason here? I know what they're for."
His ghostly entourage finally showed up. "Not real, you're not real, I don't have to listen to you." Bucky started his mantra as soon as the shadows wavered. As the night wore on he found himself sitting in the center of the cell, trembling and carrying on a vigorous conversation with Maria Stark. "I didn't want to kill you, you know that. I'm sorry, really, really sorry." Maria was unimpressed.
She moved closer and started pointing at him. "Shit, here it comes…please don't do that again. I can't handle it…I know I deserve it but…please, don't hurt me." He slowly crawled to the side of his prison knowing he would soon be lost to Tony's mother's vengeance.
He grabbed onto the bars with both hands, his head pressed against their cold surface; waiting. He heard the familiar sobbing.
Maria caressed his hair. "What the hell?" He stuttered out, surprised by this change in tactic as she spoke in Russian Pasha, what's wrong? I heard you talking.
He didn't answer; too terrified of a Russian speaking Mrs. Stark.
Pasha? Are you ill? You had medications in the bag but I didn't recognize the name.
"Too many names…I barely know who I am anymore." He answered her in his head.
The tremors intensified; he felt all of his muscles begin to tense; it took his last remnant of focused energy to stutter out "I…need…those…meds." And the seizure was upon him.
He woke to find his head in the woman's lap, she was stroking his hair. "Where the hell am I." He thought. There was a blanket covering him. "What happened?" he choked out.
I think you had a seizure, child.
He was too weak and tired to try and overpower her. As his consciousness returned he could see he was still in the dirt floored cage. The chain was still on his arm.
Drink this. You haven't eaten in days; barely any water.
"Days?" he thought. "Time flies when you're being held prisoner."
"I need the medications." He whispered.
"Drink the water." She held the bottle in front of him and cradled his head.
Don't do it Soldier. You know how this works; she beats you down, then she offers you comfort. Classic conditioning…worked like a charm on you, remember?
"I don't care…I'm dying here. I need the water…I need the meds." He argued with the Voice. Only he said it all out loud.
"Pasha?" "I gave you the medications."
"What?"But then he could vaguely recall her pushing the pills in his mouth and pouring a few gulps of water in. "I thought you were trying to water-board me."
"No, child. I was trying to help you." She stroked his cheek and pushed the hair off his face.
She tried to help him drink the water but he shook his head. "I can do it." He struggled to push himself up and away from her. He reminded himself "Can't do this again. Can't let her have this."
She protested "I can help …" but he cut her off.
"No…I need to get up." He rolled away from her and ended up on his hands and knees.
"So stubborn." She chided.
"That's me alright…" He put his hand out and pointed at the water bottle. "I'll take that if you're still offering."
"Of course."
She rose from the floor and backed out of the cell. He never looked up as she locked the door and walked away.
She's getting soft in her old age. Time was, she'd have left you lying in your own puke and sh…..
"Whoa there buddy, Language."
It felt good to have her caress you, didn't it? You've missed that kind of touch.
"I ain't discussing that kind of touch with you. Besides that was then, this is now."
She's playing you, soldier. You know that's how she works. You know where she came from.
'We'll see who's playing who, now won't we." Bucky smirked weakly. "You ain't been paying attention….I got the pills and a blanket. Score two for me."
Soldat. It's time for us to get to work.
Bucky startled at the voice. His tongue was thick "Where am I?"
You are with me, child. With your матушка.
"What?" He opened his eyes and searched for the woman.
He sighed when he saw her "You, are not my mother." He lay back down on the dirt floor. "Leave me alone."
I brought you food. You need to eat She added in a whispered English "or you'll be too weak to escape."
"Yeah, yeah…you need me strong…the fist of Hydra has to be …." "What did you say?"
"You heard me, Soldat. Eat the food, drink the water. I'll be back in fifteen minutes; we have much work to get done before they come for you." She turned and walked quickly away.
"Did you hear that? Voice? Hey buddy…come on…don't abandon me now."
You can't trust her Soldier. She is playing you as she always does. She just said that to make you cooperate, to maker her job easier.
"Yeah but what if…..either way, if they come for me or she lets me go….I need to be ready." He resolved to change his tactics.
He ate the food and drank the water as fast as he could and paid for it with intense cramps and an overwhelming urge to vomit.
"Do not vomit!" He commanded his stomach. "I need those calories, damn it." This time his stomach obeyed.
He stood to stare towards the door when he heard it open. She slowly approached, stun prod in hand.
"Well that's not a good sign. I thought we promised no violence."
"We made no such promises." She reminded.
She circled the cage, he watched her intently.
He opened "Ok so let's recap: no chair to wipe my brain…yet; no beatings or drugs, well except for chloroform, oh and the stun prod…which by the way does sh.. nothing for my memory issues….cuz now you want my memories…and…you gave me the medications so clearly you want me relatively sane. How'm doing so far?"
She nodded "Go on."
"My memories…not of Brooklyn, the war or what you and Hydra did to me."
"Continue."
"What memories then?" But Bucky knew exactly what she was talking about. The wall at home. He was floridly psychotic when he wrote it all down; but that day when he tried to work on it and melted down even on the meds; he knew it was all very, very accurate.
"Contacts, locations, money…." She made a sweeping gesture of etcetera.
"Oh, those memories." He nodded. Then raised his eyes slowly to confront her "No."
"I can help you remember, Pasha, as you know."
"I am well acquainted with your methods, матушка." He paused then added "The words are still rattling around in here." He gestured flippantly at his head. He snarled at her in Russian You're the one who put them there. You'll have to use them to force me to tell you everything.
I would rather you cooperate with me. She answered quietly.
"Fat chance of that, woman." He huffed.
He sighed as he stared at his filthy bare feet "Then…let the games begin."
"Very well. This is your choice, Pasha. Not mine."
She paced around the cage silently. Minutes passed.
He glanced up at her "Having second thoughts матушка?" He asked with an over-abundance of innocence laced in his voice.
She grimaced then spoke firmly:
Longing Bucky shuddered hard, but held his standing position.
Rusted The ripping pain that seared his head, caused him to groan as he staggered forward.
SeventeenHe fell to his knees; clutched his head as he choked out "Please, , please, матушка don't do this."
Daybreak Bucky started screaming…". Please. матушка, Stop. Please don't make me do this." He started to sob on his knees in the dirt.
He knelt there for what felt like forever. The agonizing pain in his head slowly dulled down to an ache. His thoughts were bouncing around like a pinball machine. He could barely lift his head but forced his gaze up to find her but she was gone.
"What the fuck…?"
Even the Voice abandoned him.
Soldat it's time to work again.
Bucky was doing push ups when she came in. His right arm was aching. He'd almost forgotten about the damaged tendon until the fifth pushup. He kept going.
Soldat, it's time to work.
He stopped the push ups, sat on his ankles and looked at her through his ragged hair. "What the hell just happened here."
She swung the prod hand to hand. "I do not know what you are talking about."
"You know exactly what I'm talking about." He jumped up from his knees and stalked towards her. "You said the words and stopped. You got half way through and left. Ok I get it, you like to torture me but what's the point of that, even you have a point to all your damn torture."
She fired up the stun prod.
Bucky protested as he pointed a metal finger at her "Wait!….Damn is not a swear word!"
He thought she nearly smirked at that. At least it got her to drop the damn prod.
She came close to the bars and gestured him closer. He looked pointedly at the stun prod and shook his head no. She sighed and laid it down on the ground. He crossed to the bars and stood leaning up against them, his head bent down closer to her.
You're an idiot, you know. To trust her like that.
Bucky rolled his eyes and thought "No shit. That's why I've got one hand ready to grab her, buddy."
But he didn't need to be afraid this time. Or grab her.
"I put the words in your head, didn't' I?" She whispered in his ear.
"You certainly did, woman." He growled.
"I can take them out."
Bucky closed his eyes and held his breath. He didn't dare believe what he heard.