Chapter 63: Ice

February 4, 1945

Neither Bucky nor Lu really slept in that cage, but she awoke in a daze to some sort of hubbub outside their dungeon.

As soon as she shifted to get a better listen - she seemed to hear so much more nowadays - Bucky awoke as well, taking in a sharp breath and clenching his fist in the fabric of her shirt. She put a hand on his chest, shushing him quietly and moving over him so she could angle her ear towards the door. He released his grip and instead rested his hand against her waist, holding his breath and going completely still.

"Something's happening." she whispered. "I can't…I think they're saying something about protocol?"

"Maybe Steve's coming." he said, perking up. "He found us again." He moved next to her, listening as well.

"I don't hear anything about Captain America though, or enemies." she said. "Do you?"

He listened for a long moment, and she could see in his face how hard he was trying to be hopeful. But like her, he wasn't hearing what he wanted. "No." he said finally. "But I hear a lot of stuff about moving."

"Dammit, I was hoping I heard it wrong." she said. She stood up, pacing the small cage. "Okay, if they try and move us, maybe we can fight back. The blizzard has to be done now, maybe we can get out and run."

Bucky stood up too, going to cross his arms and remembering there was only one. He reached up and took hold of one of the bars. "It would depend where they're moving us to, and what kind of firepower they have. If it's just the scientists, maybe, but we don't know how many guards there are."

"There's no way they would caravan everyone." she said. "They'll have to split up."

"If there's few enough that they don't have to, then we could probably escape." he agreed. "Do you remember which direction we went? Whenever they first grabbed us?"

"North." she said. "So unless they changed after they knocked me out, that means we need to go-"

"East." Bucky said, finishing her thought. "Okay, listen. I just need you to take out one guy, and use his body as a shield."

"I - I can probably do more." she said, not admitting what her insides did when he said she had to take out one guy. She'd been in scraps before, yes, but not enough for her to feel qualified to take down a soldier. Not to mention, hurting someone still felt so wrong, even if they were the enemy. He came up to her, putting his hand on her cheek.

"I know. And I know this isn't you." he said, as if he could read her mind. Was her face that transparent? Or did he just know her this well by now? "But this is them, or us. And I'll be damned if I let them win."

"Right, of course." she said, nodding. He was right, she knew he was right, but that didn't stop the rock settling in the pit of her stomach at the thought. If ever there was a time to compartmentalize, it was now.

"If you can get your arm around his neck," he demonstrated the move, but held her so gently, his chest pressed to her back. "You can use your other arm for leverage."

"But it's not cutting off the airway, it's cutting off-"

"The carotid arteries." Bucky said. She wondered where he learned the term, or if he'd always known it. He was a boxer before this, but boxers didn't do choke holds. "Hold too long it'll kill him. But hold just long enough-"

"And he'll lose consciousness." she said, imagining the sketch from her nursing textbook detailing the Circle of Willis. Carotid artery to jugular vein, the main blood supply to the brain. She would kill, if she had to, if it meant that Bucky would survive. She nodded again. "Okay. But we wait until they take us somewhere?"

"That's too risky." Bucky said. He started pacing now, biting at his nail and his mind clearly whirring. "They could handcuff us, or worse, sedate us. We're going to have to get out of here while everything is a mess."

"But they'll see us."

"Not if they're not looking for us." he said. She always knew how analytical he was, but this was a whole new level of it. "Hopefully they bring in just a few guards to let us out. That's when we'll make our move. Then there's ready-made disguises right there for us, we'll just have to figure out how to hide your hair."

"Are you kidding? That's the easy part." she said. She'd tucked her hair into many a cap helping her father on the farm. It was not a practice her mother knew about, and she would never tell. Bucky went to the bars again, grabbing hold and tugging. The metal groaned where the locking mechanism dug into the concrete.

"I don't think they planned to keep us in here this long." he said, pulling again. He put his foot up against the door, trying to leverage his weight and his strength as he pulled. Dust rained down over him, but the bar remained in place. "Fuck!" he said, shaking out his arm. Lu went to him, running loving hands over the muscles of his arm. She wished she could get his arm back for him, wished she'd been able to find it in the river.

But maybe she could still help.

"Let me try." she said, going to where he stood before. He opened his mouth to stop her, but closed it again, his brows furrowing.

"Put your foot here," he said, gesturing to the right spot. "And use both hands."

"Okay." she said, following his instruction. She gave a slight tug, the metal solid and unyielding against her hands. But adrenaline and some other mixer coursed through her veins, giving her a confidence that surprised her. She tightened her grip, leaning away and pulling with all her might. The metal groaned and the concrete dusted again, but no dice.

"Use your leg." Bucky said, using the same voice she heard him use when ordering soldiers. It was weird to have it directed at her. "You're not using your leg."

"Right, right." she said. She got into position again, and this time when she pulled, she remembered to kick away with her leg. The concrete cracked and shifted, dust and pieces falling over her. She leaned over to cough and sneeze, the particles assaulting her sensitive nose and throat. Bucky picked her up with his one arm, swinging her around despite her hacking.

"That's my girl!" he said, placing a rough kiss somewhere on the side of her head. He took up her position, finishing the job and ripping the bar free, leaving a space big enough for her to slide through. But instead of discarding it, he put it back in place.

"What are you doing? We could get out of here now, while they're distracted." she said, going to grab it. He held it fast, and it was annoying that even with this newfound strength, he was still stronger than her.

"But they're also going to come for us." he said. "We have to wait until the right moment, trust me."

"I trust you." she said, even though her nerves were piling up and she felt like her spine was fusing in between her shoulder blades. He knew better than her with this, which was something she would never admit out loud. But she did trust him, with everything she had.

"Good." he said, though he looked a little hesitant himself. "This…you'll just have to follow my lead, okay? I'm not sure what we're going into, I've been unconscious any time they take me out there."

"Me too." she said. The times they were alone were the worst times. She blinked and shook the memories from her head. "So it's take out guards, steal their clothes, make a mad dash for freedom?"

"And try not to get killed. Don't forget that part."

"Right. Easy." she said, taking in a deep breath, and then another. Panic wanted to take over, but she squashed it down; she could panic later, once they were outside and running away. "And maybe just kill some people. It's fine."

"It's not fine." he said, making her look up at him. "It's not fine, Doc. But it's the only way. I'll do my best to take care of you but…" he paused, wiping his face with his hand. "But you have to remember. Us or them."

"Us." she said. "I always choose us."

It was comforting to know that Bucky would take the brunt of the attacking, but even that didn't sit well with her. In the early morning hours in London, when he'd had a bit too much to drink and not enough to eat, he confessed that he never wanted to join the war effort, that he thought he'd be better serving on home turf. Even in the police academy, he wasn't one of the trigger happy boys, ready to go in guns blazing to make an arrest. He carried each and every death on his conscience, both people he killed and people who died under his watch.

And today, he would add to that list. But Lu was not going to be a name on it.

She went to him, pulling him into a tight embrace and running her fingers through his hair. His arm snaked around her waist, crushing her to his chest. There was no right words to say, nothing that would make them feel better or be any more prepared. Now it was just about waiting.

The door slammed open, and Bucky moved Lu behind him so fast that her world spun for a second. Six guards entered, wheeling in a gurney behind them. That was more than Lu thought was necessary, but she wasn't the mad scientist in the building. One put his gun down and pulled out the key to their cage, the others keeping their guns pointed at them. Lu stood behind Bucky, taking a steadying breath and willing herself to get ready.

Take one man out.

Use his body as a shield.

The world seemed to slow, and she could count the heartbeats of all the men in front of her, sense the soldiers as their weight shifted and their fingers slid nervously over the triggers. They were scared of her and Bucky, and based on his face, Bucky realized it too. She chanced a quick glance up at the crack in the concrete, remembering how hard it was to pull it from its home. But now her muscles felt fine, and the sore spots on her palms were gone. She was strong, and she could heal. He had to be the same way, and he had knowledge. Knowledge of fighting, and guns. He was a sharp shooter, for Christ's sake.

They were right to be afraid.

The first soldier put the key in the lock, and Bucky moved as it turned. He pulled the bar from its place, the soldier coming with it. Lu was able to dodge the bar, barely catching a glimpse as Bucky slung his arm around the soldier's head. She didn't think his grip was right to knock him out, and that instinct was correct; the deep pop as Bucky broke his neck made her jump, bile rising in her throat. But now was not the time for her to worry. Us or them.

The men opened fire, but Bucky threw the body of their buddy at them with a yell, managing to hit four of the five. He didn't hesitate, rushing the remaining standing soldier and slamming his head into the wall. He easily grabbed the gun from him as his limp body fell, swinging it around and aiming at the soldiers. Lu saw the stump of his arm move as he reached to stabilize the weapon, the muzzle waving unsteadily as he tucked it into his shoulder. The four soldiers on the ground were scrambling for purchase, bullets ringing out between them and Bucky. He kicked the gurney over to buy him some time, continuing to rain rounds.

Lu was paralyzed with fear. Her mind felt overloaded with input as she tried to keep up with the fight, trying to figure out how to help Bucky without getting in the way or getting hurt herself. She wasn't a soldier like he was, didn't have special forces training, didn't have a best friend that was a national symbol. But she looked at the bar laying on the floor, and she realized that she at least had strength.

She came back to herself, grabbing the bar by one end. All the gunman were up now, their eyes and guns focused completely on Bucky as they yelled at him to get down. She would have one chance to surprise them.

"Barnes, duck!" she said, swinging before the words were even out of her mouth. Bucky either heard her instruction or saw it coming, because he hit the deck with lightning speed. Her arms shook as the metal pole collided with the soldiers, but her muscles and joints held in a way that she knew was impossible. The pole lodged in the wall, the counterforce sending her backwards into the remaining bars. Her bell rung as her head smacked the metal, but she was able to blink a few times and clear her vision. Bucky swung under the pole in the wall, driving his knee into the head of one of the soldiers. He grabbed the gun of the other, the smell of singing flesh hitting Lu's nose as the man fired into the ceiling. Bucky wrenched the gun from his hands, using it as a baton to hit him across the face.

It was eerily silent after that, and once again Lu found herself barely able to breathe and unable to move. Bucky grabbed one of the men by the collar and dragged him into the open space, gesturing towards him.

"Come on." he said, once again using an authoritative voice that, in a different setting, she would probably enjoy. Here, it was just effective at getting her feet to move. He pulled another one out and kneeled down, getting started on the buttons. Lu swallowed her fear and got to work, telling herself that this was the same as a field amputation, or the day she had to mark red X's with her lipstick at Pearl. Get through it, and deal with it later.

Modesty was long forgotten as she tore off her clothing, sliding on the still-warm pants and shirt of the soldier. His socks were sweaty, but they were better than her bare feet, and she laced the too-big boots as tight as she could. Bucky was struggling with his one arm, still not used to dressing himself on his own. She immediately moved to help him, her hands surprisingly steady as she did him up. They both looked at the left sleeve of the jacket, hanging uselessly by his side.

"Here." she said, grabbing a pair of cuffs from the pile and connecting one to the button hole of the sleeve, the other going to a loop on the gun handle. "It's not perfect, but it'll do."

"You're so fucking smart." he said, giving her a grin.

"You're the fucking smart one, I'm just trying to keep up." she said, though she still refused to look at the fallen soldiers. She adjusted his hat, then grabbed her own, twisting her bright blonde hair up and tucking it underneath. "Ready?"

He nodded sharply. "Get a weapon, and then we move."

She did as she was told, picking up the nearest gun and copying the way Bucky held it. He only ever taught her how to use a pistol, but she was still able to locate the safety and the trigger. She made sure the safety was off; if they came across anyone, she was going to have to go against every instinct and shoot.

"Head down, walk with a purpose." Bucky said. "Don't act like you're sneaking, it'll be more suspicious."

She hadn't thought of that, but now that he said it, it felt obvious. She suddenly wished she'd taken Peggy up on the offer to sit in on the men's trainings, if only to learn some of this. Or was this stuff that Bucky already knew beforehand? Either way, he pushed open the door and strode out, and she had no choice but to follow. She counted her steps as she walked, watching Bucky out of the corner of her eye. He was scanning the compound with hawk-like eyes, tracking everyone that moved through different doors.

"This way." he said, pushing her down a hallway to their right. She took the opportunity to switch to his left side, covering the space where his arm used to be. He looked at her and she met his eyes, the grin he gave her bolstering her confidence. "We're gonna make it, Doc."

"I sure as hell hope so, Barnes." she said. She could swear that she felt every red blood cell as they shot through her vessels, her heart pounding so hard that her chest would hurt, if she didn't have this amazing new super strength. They turned down a different hallway, keeping a steady pace as other soldiers and people in lab coats moved every which way. The place was a maze, but as long as they kept moving, they'd find a way.

An alarm started blaring, and Bucky upped his pace. Lu tried to stay at a walk, but nearly had to jog to keep with his longer strides. She caught bits and pieces in German as they walked by, most of them talking about packing and location and Siberia. But every once in a while, she caught other words, words that made her more nervous: escape and prisoners and subdue.

Bucky took another turn, and a whole line of soldiers walled the hallway. Lu grabbed him by the empty sleeve and pulled him down a different hallway, but even more soldiers were in that one. A man yelled a greeting to them, and they did a quick about-face to try and make an exit. They could not afford to be surrounded; very quickly, these soldiers would realize that they were not their friends. One shouted, leading to the rest shouting, and Bucky reached across to shove Lu ahead of him.

"Run!" he yelled, and she took off. She heard his boots and felt his presence behind her, but she couldn't risk looking over her shoulder to check on him. Bullets whizzed past their heads and feet, but it almost seemed like the soldiers were trying to miss.

Subdue. They wanted them alive. The thought alone sped her feet up.

Fire ripped into the back of her leg as a bullet hit home, and without hesitation Bucky grabbed her by the belt and kept her upright. But they were too slow now, Lu's limping too clunky, and another bullet hit her calf. Then, one found Bucky's knee. They went down with screams of agony and frustration, Bucky getting himself together first and flipping over onto his back, spraying bullets at the oncoming soldiers.

"Fuck!" he yelled as the clip clicked empty, and without words Lu shoved her gun into his capable hands. His shots were more controlled now, steady bursts aimed at necks and armpits, the only areas not covered by the armor. She hid her face in his shoulder, pretending that she was keeping him steady but really just trying not to completely lose her cool. This was wrong, this was all so wrong.

Pain blinded her out of nowhere as a gun butt hit her in the head. This time she couldn't blink the spots away, and saw as another soldier hit Bucky in the back of the head. She let out a strangled cry as a boot collided with him, the same boot coming for her a moment later.

When the darkness faded, the blindness continued, but this time it was from surgical lights in an operating theater. A man in a lab coat came into her hazy vision, looking at her for a minute before writing something down on his clipboard and walking away. She tried to move, but she was tied down to the gurney. She swiveled her head side to side, her breath catching as she spotted Bucky.

He was on a separate gurney, strapped down like her, but with his left arm free. Men in heavy rubber gloves were feeding wires into his arm, which had already soaked the gauze underneath red. The wound was completely open again, and she could smell the disinfectant and the burning lingering in the air from where they debrided and cauterized the stump. He was still out cold, and she watched as a man fed something into an IV port in his elbow.

"Barnes." she tried to say, but the name came out cracked and not even a whisper. She felt like she was stuck in a dream, where she tried to scream but her voice caught in her throat. If she could just wake him up, then they could figure this out. "Barnes." she tried again, but to the same effect. She watched as another lab coat brought a shining silver arm, identical to his remaining limb, and a man with rubber gloves started making connections with the wires. Some device she couldn't see clicked as they pulled the wires tight, and with a slow squelch the arm started sliding onto his residual limb. Her stomach rolled at the noise, and it was only an empty stomach that kept her from getting sick as the arm found its home with a slurping pop.

Bucky started to move, his eyes shifting and blinking open. He looked down at his arm, his brows furrowing as he took in the prosthetic. She watched as he lifted it, curling and uncurling the fingers. Then, he took hold of the nearest lab coat, strangling him and snapping his neck without a second thought. Lu struggled against her restraints; if she could get free, then he could get them out of there. Then she could get that stupid thing off his body.

"Now, now, soldat." a man said, sliding into her view. His accent wasn't German; it was Russian. He was dressed for the cold outside. "I need you to be calm."

"Fuck you." Lu spat out, glad that she was able to find her voice. Next to her, a man gave Bucky more sedative, his body going limp once more.

"We have a long way to go, soldat." he said, as if she hadn't spoken. "And a lot of work ahead of us." He gave her a cold, calculating smile that sent a chill straight down her spine. This was bad. This was really, really bad.

He gave a command in Russian, moving his hand in a circle as if he wanted everything packed up. People in masks started wheeling the gurneys away from the door, which didn't make sense to Lu. She tried to look up, straining against the metal and allowing it to cut into her skin. She thought it was the blood clouding her vision, but no. There were huge metal tubes waiting for them, some sort of vapor escaping from the bottom of them.

"No," she said, remembering being stuck in the rubble, seeing the sailors caught in the ships. "No, no, no - Barnes! Barnes! Bucky!"

Bucky stirred, but not enough. The gurneys locked into the tubes, and two men in lab coats unlocked something down by her feet. The bed started sliding, then angling up, as they pushed her into the tube. She screamed and thrashed against the restraints, but it did her no good. She called for Bucky, but he stayed sedated, and soon she couldn't see him anymore. All she saw was the cold walls of the box, the chill settling in and making her teeth chatter. The men didn't give her a second glance, they only shut the door on her. Her screams reverberated back tenfold in the tiny space, making her throat raw and her eardrums nearly burst. But the pain didn't register over the panic.

Something hissed down by her feet, and the temperature dropped significantly. She screamed for Barnes, and for God, and for her mother, tears and blood freezing on her face. She felt as her blood slowed, as her skin froze, as the nerves that registered temperature no longer told her that she was cold, only that she was in pain. She could no longer fight it, no longer try and escape.

Her screams stopped as her lungs froze, the whole world going white as the ice took over.

...oops?

Omg, have y'all been watching F&WS? Our boys are kicking ass and taking names! Idk how they're gonna tie everything up in two more episodes, though. They better be announcing season 2.

As always, I can't thank y'all enough for your feedback. Y'all have no idea how much it helps, and how grateful I am for it. I know this chapter was dark, but I hope it was entertaining!

For those who also read Silver and Honey, it'll be starting back up as soon as all the episodes of F&WS are out! Eek!

Stay safe and tell your friends you love them,

-XM