Chapter 25

Steve heard Bucky's voice clearly, although he had spoken so quietly that the listening devices in both cells would have to be very sensitive to clearly transmit what Bucky was saying. "They had you even longer that time."

"Yeah."

"Were you honest with your lawyer about how you're being treated here, Steve?"

He rolled over on his side, away from the three cameras he knew of, and masked his reply with a sighing breath. "Yeah. No proof, since they won't take me to medical."

"Steve, this can't continue."

"No choice, Bucky."

"You tell the attorney that they refused to let you see the priest?"

"Yeah. They just don't care, Buck. I'm so tired. Lemme sleep for a bit?"

"Sure, pal. You need it."

"Steve. Come on, punk. You're worryin' me."

He could hear the fear and uncertainty in Bucky's voice, which was enough to force Steve to croak, "I'm here, Buck. Just feeling like I'm one big bruise, that's all."

"Yeah, I know. Can you sit up?"

"Well, I can but I'm not going to pretend that I wanna."

"Gotta tell you somethin'. Had a visit with the warden while they had you in their so-called interrogation."

"What? Why?" Steve forced himself to sit up and then leant his elbows on his knees, so he could rest his head in his hands.

"Oh, usual intimidation s***. But when I was in there, I told him that the abuses in here have been reported to the OHCHR and were being investigated by the DOJ. I just thought he'd wanna know that, even if he'd been told otherwise, the staff here aren't gonna be protected if the Feds prosecute."

"You'd have thought they would figure that out on their own, Buck."

"I know, but I guess if you have the Secretary of State swearing that we're both traitors and criminals that must be interrogated to get time-sensitive, critical information…"

"The only thing time sensitive in my head is when the h*ll they're gonna give me something to eat. My stomach is an empty, echoing cavern of hopelessness."

"Yeah, I don't think even standard humans would be satisfied with these meals. I calculate that we're getting at most 800 calories a day right now."

Steve groaned. "We've been through it before. We can handle it again."

"War was different, Steve. They've actually got the food here. They just don't want us to have it."

"Yeah. Yeah, I know. I gotta tell ya, Buck, that I'm pretty d*** tired of the hypocrisy. You know the question they wanted me to answer?"

"Why you'd protect a friend that they wanted to kill?"

"Oh, that one makes the rounds, too. But they really wanted to focus on my supposed war crimes. The bastard running today's enhanced interrogation session informed me that, supposedly, I didn't keep people from dying in Sokovia. I don't know who these d*** people are Bucky, but how can they ask these questions with a straight face? We saved thousands. Thousands. I wish we'd saved every single person. We did everything in our power to do so, but life is messy. We couldn't protect everyone, no matter how hard we tried. Same as when we took down Crossbones. We did everything in our power to save every life. We got the gas out of the building. We tried to contain the force of the explosion. But it just wasn't possible. They don't care how many we did save or what we prevented from occurring. They want to punish us because we cannot be perfect."

"S***. You finally let loose on 'em today, didn't you?"

"Nah, just asked 'em how many people were gonna die now that they don't have any Avengers to send. Told 'em that 80% or 90% is better than 0% by a h*ll of a f***in' lot. And we always did everything we could to make that number as high as possible."

"Aw f***, Steve. Is that why they beat you so bad this time?"

"Yeah."

"C'mon, punk, you can't lose your temper with these people. They hate us and they will do anything to make us look bad. They will twist our words around until it sounds like we're saying up is down and good is bad."

"I know, I know. But do you know how devastated Wanda was that she couldn't contain the blast, so people died? People have called her horrifying things, as if she was the one who'd detonated the thing. Crossbones was the criminal. For s***'s sake, Buck, do they blame police when some dirtbag bank robber kills a hostage? We go out there and lay it all on the line every time. Every d*** time. Over and over and over. It's a brutal job that none of us actually asked for, yet we keep doing it because it needs to be done. We ain't askin' for a ticker tape parade, Buck, but they could at least treat us decent."

"Steve…"

"Nah, I don't wanna talk anymore about it, Bucky. I'm just mad. I didn't ask to get awakened from the ice. But ever since I was, I've worked my tail off trying to stop the bad guys and protect everyone else. That includes protectin' you, Buck. If I hadn't gone down to Romania, they'd have killed you before they realised that their so-called evidence was fake. Even after they did figure that out, you weren't even going to get a trial. My wife has been terrorised and mistreated. Your family was kidnapped and your wife was tortured. I have missed most of my sons' lives. And now, they're trying to beat information out of me every day. I'm angry and I intend to stay angry today because I have a b**** of a headache from where Collins zapped me."

Bucky's voice was low and pained, as he replied, "Steve, maybe if I start makin' some noise, then they'll turn their attention to me for a day or two. Give you a break, huh? You know some of them would like a chance to go at the Winter Soldier, but they can't if the Army keeps sending minders. If I'm making trouble, then they'll have an excuse."

"Now you're bein' an idiot. If you make trouble, it might affect your case. My body can take the abuse, Bucky. My heart can't handle it though if they make you take the blame for what HYDRA did and lock you away. I can't bear that."

"Steve, waddaya think my heart feels like watching you go through this? My brother's bein' flayed physically and emotionally and I can't do nothin' to help."

Steve lifted his head from the thin mattress where he was resting and he replied miserably, "I know, Buck. I'm sorry that you're havin' to watch this. I wondered why they didn't separate us, ya know. Figured they'd wanna keep us apart to inflict maximum pain. Being near you is helping me deal with everything they're doin', but I didn't think about how horrible this is for you. I guess this was the only way they could touch you, since the Army's monitoring everything else. I'm sorry, Bucky."

"Don't you dare be sorry. This ain't on you. This is their fault. And if bein' here with me is helping you, then I'm grateful."

"It is, Bucky. I promise. If I was alone, I'd be lost in my head worrying about my boys and pining for Mary-Claire."

"Yeah. I know exactly what you mean there."

When Tony strode inside the bunker where Steve and Bucky were being held, he staggered slightly, then stared through his sunglasses up at the blazing, bright lights above.

Steve stood up from his cement bench and exclaimed with surprise, "Tony!"

Looking over Steve's wasted frame, Tony was clearly shocked. "You look like s***, Rogers. Have they fed you at all?"

His eyes going shifty in the way that Bucky knew very well, Steve shrugged and replied in a falsely chipper tone, "Sure, but it is standard rations. I just require 4500 calories a day not to lose muscle mass."

Tony grunted angrily. "A fact that they are well aware of. So, they're trying to blind you and starve you. What else, Rogers?"

Immediately looking guilty that Tony was worrying about him, Steve frowned and tried to diffuse the situation. "You can't do anything about any of it, Tony, so don't worry about it. It isn't your fault."

"Don't be so sure. You might as well tell me, Rogers."

Bucky stood watching Steve with a scowl on his face, as Steve replied with a forced calm that wouldn't have deceived a child, "It's fine, Tony."

Tony rapidly turned to Bucky and demanded, "If Cap won't fess up, why don't you tell me, Barnes? What are they doing to him?"

Turning his eyes to all five cameras in turn and trusting Tony to understand, Bucky replied uneasily, "It ain't that bad."

However, Tony didn't seem to be concerned about surveillance. "Last chance, Barnes. Are these bastards mistreating Captain America? Come on. I need data if I'm going to fix anything."

Bucky exhaled sharply, rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably, then said miserably, "Yeah. Ok. Steve ain't gonna tell you nothin' because he's a self-sacrificing idiot. But they're not even giving him a regular food ration, not unless New York usually feeds its prisoners just one sandwich with a single slice of turkey on it for each meal. They only give him one cup of water for the day, too. And he's not allowed to exercise in the cell, so…so his muscles are hurtin' him. The serum makes it so he can't go without moving for long. It used to be a real problem for him during the war when we had to hole up and wait for longer'n five or so hours."

Tony seemed annoyed, as he asked roughly, "That it?"

Bucky looked over at Steve with an agonised, guilty expression, then said regretfully, "No. He is taken for interrogations twice a day, which have lasted an average of 94 minutes each session. He'd probably swear to you that he wasn't given a leg injury in there this morning, too. He ain't slept in days, because they don't never turn the lights off and they got a caterwauler goin' all the time, which only Enhanced ears can hear. He was even refused a chance to have the Eucharist yesterday when a priest tried to visit us. He isn't allowed to do anything but sleep and read that Bible the priest brought him. He hasn't done nothing to deserve to be treated bad. He ain't a prisoner of war or nothin'. It's wrong."

This made Tony stiffen briefly in both surprise and anger, then he looked thoughtfully at Steve for a moment. Turning back to Bucky, he demanded stiffly, "They treating you the same way, Barnes?"

Bucky's shoulders tensed and he shook his head before he replied with embarrassed urgency, "Thank you for askin', Stark, but it really don't matter how I'm treated. I can take it. It's Steve as should be treated right. If you can make them do somethin' then please…please do. If they can just bring him more food and let him get some sleep at least."

Tony sighed. "Still nothing to say, Cap?"

Steve grimaced. "I knew it would be like this when I surrendered, Tony. I'm not being ungrateful, I promise, but I just really don't want you to get into any trouble on my behalf. I was prepared for worse, actually. It's only nine more days until the court-martial."

Angrily waving his hands in the air, Tony insisted, "Steve, they aren't giving out stickers and lollipops for how politely you handle the abuse. There is no reason for you to accept this kind of treatment."

After a brief look over at Bucky, Steve then acquiesced to Bucky's silent demand to explain further. "Actually, every word I say and every action I take in here is being recorded. Any infractions will be used against me in the court-martial. I expected both Bucky and I would experience reprisals in here from people who feel that he's a terrorist and I'm a traitor."

Tony grunted with disgust. "Are they giving you the news in here?"

Steve looked surprised, as he replied, "No. Why?"

"Ross. They have arrested and charged him with a list of crimes that is satisfyingly long."

Bucky breathed in sharply, then whispered emotionally, "Бог добр, и oн восстановил свою справедливость. Пусть Росс получит суд Аман. (G-d is good and He has delivered his justice. May Ross receive the judgement of Haman.)"

However, Steve, laughed aloud, then exclaimed, "Now that is the best news I've heard in ages. That's wonderful, Tony."

Clearly surprised, Tony replied, "Didn't expect you to be this happy about it."

"No? You're talking about same Ross that made Banner's life h*ll? Or who forced through the Sokovia Accords? Yeah that guy is the one who gave the kill order for Bucky, Tony, even though Bucky had not been convicted or even charged with anything. Ross is responsible for my wife being mistreated when they executed that secret search warrant and then placed her on the no-fly list to keep her from getting to Geneva for her job with the UN on time. Ross had my friends imprisoned in the Raft and you saw that place, right?"

Steve was gripping the bars in front of him for support, as he watched Tony and continued angrily, "Then, Ross sent people to my home in Geneva to kidnap Thea and her two children, murder my wife's housekeeper and nanny, attempt to frame Bucky's brothers-in-law for those murders, torture Thea with a car battery, and starve the children so the baby barely survived. Ross was there, Tony. He interrogated Thea in that warehouse while his people were torturing her. He tried to get to Winnie in the hospital, too. Not sure if you know about that. Ross is the one who ordered Bucky's mechanical arm to be amputated and that he be placed on antipsychotics and sedatives against two psychiatrists' orders. So yeah, Tony, I am really, really glad that Thaddeus Ross is going to see justice."

Holding his hands up in the air, Tony said, "Ok, ok. Although, you got to understand why they wanted Barnes' arm removed. It is a weapon."

Bucky shot a warning look at Steve, who contained himself sufficiently to reply harshly, "I didn't say removed, I said amputated. This arm was surgically attached. It isn't a prosthesis. The nerves are still giving him pain from the amputation, since he isn't given any pain meds."

Tony stepped back and then looked at Bucky before he responded, "What the f***? You mean the Wakandan arm had mechanical nerves that registered pain?"

Bucky frowned. He had not wanted to talk about this. Understanding his friend's discomfort, Steve answered for him, "Yes. Wakanda offered to immobilise the arm, so it couldn't be used. Amputation wasn't necessary."

"Holy s***. Do they know that Barnes is in pain?"

Steve snarled, "Yes."

"He's still on the other meds?"

His voice dropping even deeper, Steve repeated, "Yes."

Tony turned to Bucky and asked stiffly, "Are your attorneys aware, Barnes?"

His face immediately went blank as his fists balled up beside him, then Bucky quietly responded, "It isn't the same as during our transport here though. That was an IV drip, so the serum couldn't metabolise those fast enough for me to think clearly. It ain't so bad now, really. After about two hours, I can function ok."

"Function ok meaning you feel normal or…"

Flexing his fists a few times, Bucky then answered, "No, but compared to the drugs that HYDRA used to shoot into me, it's nothing. After the first two hours, I still remember my name. I'm not confused about what year it is. I still remember Thea and the babies. It's…it's not bad, Stark."

Steve's growl was loud enough to make Tony turn on his heel and say sympathetically, "Yeah, I'm with you on this one, Cap. The US government: not as bad as HYDRA. That's one view anyway. Ok. I guess I found out what I came for. My attorneys will talk to your attorneys, etc. And uh…" Tony looked up at the lights, which suddenly dimmed and then asked, "Feeling better?"

His body sagging with relief, Steve nodded in reply. Tony then turned to Bucky for confirmation. "Truth, Barnes?"

"Yeah, the caterwauler is off, too."

"Wow, how about that. Ok, so, visiting time at the Superhero Pokey is up, boys." Tony gestured wildly with both hands as he said with a smirk, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do, Cap."