Beep! Beep! Beep!

Ironwood wanted to smash that obnoxious machine. He actually wanted to smash a lot of things right now. There was that monitor that had his X-ray. There was that damn bed he was lying in not too long ago.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

And there was that damn machine that kept beeping!

The feeling was there, the desire was there, the need was there, oh boy, was there a need to smash something.

He had been careless in the last seconds. It would seem that his loose end still had fight left in him. And that doctor had also shown that his loyalty to his work far exceeded the fear that Ironwood had tried to instill in him. Still, it was that boy who had gained some form of his consciousness back and saw just far enough through the fog to see death on the other side.

Of course, Ironwood knew he never had control over the Winter Soldier. It was Merlot's command that he listened to, it was simply that the doctor had no choice but to listen to him. That is, until the very work he had spent years molding and shaping into a weapon of war, was put at risk.

Ironwood looked out the corner of his eye at the broken pieces of what used to be a syringe. There were small specks of a blue liquid that laid between the pieces of glass and metal. It was that same liquid that now flowed through his body, leaving him in his current position now.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

And also kept him from smashing that damn machine!

Would it kill him? No. He knew it was the paralyzing serum that the scientists had on hand in case the boy had one of his episodes. He just hadn't expected the doctor to have been so bold as to use it on him after having a barrel shoved into the back of his head. What followed only added on to the worst case scenario that Ironwood had failed to take into account.

With Merlot's actions that had incapacitated Ironwood, every gun had been trained on him the moment the larger man hit the ground. Every soldier had turned to the new threat that had presented itself in the form of the doctor that had just taken out their General. He could hear one of the soldier's shout for the doctor to drop the syringe but it was drowned out by what happened in front of Ironwood as he crumpled on his side.

If only the serum hadn't flooded his system so fast and stopped his mouth from working. If only he had thought ahead and brought in the Atlesian Knights. It wasn't even a second after all the attention was trained on the scientist that he saw the biggest threat in the entire facility move. And move he had.

What came was nothing short of a massacre. Something that not many would believe was done by an aura exhausted, one armed man. A boy fresh from his teens but more of a threat than many of the men in that room. He should know, as he trained him the moment he was brought before him. And now here he was, on the floor with the body of both scientists and his own men around him. Dead.

All he could do was hear their screams. All he could do was hear guns fire in vain attempts to stop what had become inevitable. All he could do was listen as each and every soldier he brought fell at the hand of the Winter Soldier. Some were lucky by quick and painless deaths. Others had the unfortunate pain of injuries and wounds that made them suffer for several moments. And all Ironwood could do was lay on the floor, useless and forgotten. Left alive as a humiliating reminder of his failure to do what needed to be done, unable to protect his men.

Ironwood was a general at the end of the day. He was to always have a clear mind in the face of adversity. His men looked up to him for guidance and hope when things looked bleak. They also looked to him for his wisdom and knowledge and ability to always keep his cool despite the worst of situations.

Grip!

But as he felt his hand close around the syringe's shards and blood start to drip from his palm, all he could feel was rage. A rage burning like an inferno inside of him at that which he created. That which he thought he could control. That which he thought would be glad to die after having finally done some good for humanity.

The General didn't like to admit he was wrong.

"RRRAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

-Flash-

The Winter Soldier ran down the hall. There were scientists, doctors, and nurses also moving through said hall. Some he could avoid. Others were shoved into walls, on the floor, or back into the rooms they had tried to walk out from. He didn't care, he needed to get away. He needed to get out of Atlas.

His mind was still clouded and his head was throbbing in pain. He was still coming to terms with what he had done and his emotions were in turmoil as if they were just as confused as his thoughts. He couldn't understand why Ironwood had attempted to kill him. He didn't understand why the guards, the same ones he had gone on countless White Fang incursions with, had turned on him and The Doctor. And he still didn't know why or how he felt like he knew Adam Taurus.

He passed between two doctors who separated to both sides of the hall to let him through. He paid them little mind still stuck in his own.

The General had pulled his gun on him. The soldier knew he failed but several soldiers had failed in the capture of Taurus in the past. Why was it that his failure warranted death from the hand of that which was supposed to guide him? Or was it more than the failure?

The soldier winced as he head throbbed excruciatingly. He slammed into the wall and stumbled but kept his feet and continued down the hall. He turned a corner just as an alarm started to blare and the corridor lit up with a red flashing light.

He had already known that there would be little time before they discovered his escape. He also knew that it was now only a matter of time before they found all of the bodies and Ironwood. Part of him wished he could have reversed the result and only taken his former Chief of Command's life instead of the others. He had been forced to kill those he had once called comrades. His mind was still swirling and his emotions were still caught in a whirlwind and yet he could feel a pit in his gut. He shouldn't have felt any emotion, as was his training, but...they were at one time his allies. Now dead by his own hand.

Why did this feel like deja vu?

"There!" A soldier shouted from behind him.

He shook his head clear and the Winter Soldier didn't look back even as he heard several more boots flood the hall behind him. He turned another corner and shoulder tackled a nurse carrying a food tray as he rushed by.

There was a throb of pain again and he tripped on his feet, stumbling forward. Luckily, into an elevator. Unluckily, it was into an elevator. He had planned for the stairs but his head continued this fierce battle as if there was a war in his mind. He dragged himself up against the thick glass of the elevator wall, cracking his eyes open to look out over the floating city that was Atlas. His head started to spin again and he stumbled away from the sight.

The soldier slammed his fist into the buttons and the door closed just as the platoon rounded the corner. The first could only shout but it was soon muffled by the steel doors as the transport began its descent. It was slow, the numbers going down at a rate that didn't bode well for his escape. The feeling of his heart pounding in his ears didn't help either with the added headache.

Ding!

That sound made his heart completely stop. He had barely made it halfway down and the elevator was making a pit stop for another rider. As the metal doors swung open, the situation reached a critical point and one of the soldier's concerns had become reality.

A squad of Atlas soldiers flooded into the elevator, trying to overrun him with their numbers. The first three pushed into the elevator trying to press him back into the center with riot shields. Three other larger soldiers slipped behind their squadmates and circled behind him in an attempt to restrain him. The remaining two kept behind the first three, doing their best to hide behind the shields, but it was easy to spot the lightning dust infused batons in their grip. It was a simple pinning tactic before they zapped him. It worked well with lesser Grimm in tight enclosures. Last he checked, he wasn't a Grimm.

The Winter Soldier moved and launched a kick at the riot shield to his right. Adrenaline was carrying him as the blow still carried enough force to knock him against the glass wall of the elevator. The same soldier also threw his hands out and the shield was knocked into one of the baton wielders, throwing him off as well. The Winter Soldier slipped under a grapple from one of the soldiers who finally had gotten behind him before leaping forward to the buttons on the ride, realizing they were moving down again. He punched the emergency stop button, bringing the transport to an abrupt stop and making the soldiers stumble in attempts to keep their footing.

He pushed off the wall and grabbed the other baton wielder's stick before yanking it up and driving the hilt of it into the opening of the helmet and up into the nose of the soldier, a major flaw in the helmet design. Blood poured immediately and the man released his grip as he stumbled back into a riot shield.

The Winter Soldier wasted no time and turned back just as two of the larger soldiers moved on him again. He kicked the closest one in the side of his knee, making him buckle before turning to the other just as he made to punch him. He sidestepped the blow and jabbed the baton into the soldier's side.

"AAAAGGGGHHHH!" The lightning visibly coursed through his body and through his chest, the blonde essentially feeling the moment his heart stopped and the larger man's eyes roll into the back of his head. He didn't stop as he turned to the other big man and bashed the baton across his skull, a sickening crack of the helmet resonating in the elevator.

Hands immediately wrapped around his waist and two more pairs grabbed his arm before the soldier felt himself yanked back. Another soldier dove forward and pressed himself onto the stump of his shoulder, pinning his hip to his and one leg between both of his. The last two soldiers stepped before him, one with the shield, the other with his baton.

The soldier finally zapped him. The first strike made every muscle in his body clench and he thrashed his arm forward to make it stop, or tried to. The two soldiers holding his arm actually were pulled for a second before they regained their footing. The baton wielder pulled away and the Winter Soldier continued to attempt at getting free.

The soldier moved to zap him again. The blonde soldier used the soldier pinning his leg and hip to keep his balance and threw his free one into the other soldier's wrist, knocking the attack off its mark and towards the soldier that was holding his wrist.

There was a scream of pain and a moment later his forearm was released as the soldier fell back. The Winter Soldier moved his hand to grab the second soldier holding his arm's rifle sling and pulled the weapon into his hand. He turned it back to the former two and pulled the trigger. He fired and the bullets pierced the openings between the armor plates. Both soldiers fell back and before they hit the ground, the rogue blonde twisted the gun's barrel up into the other soldier's chin, firing one shot through his head.

Once his arm was fully released he pressed his weight back into the soldier holding his waist, pinning him to the door. It was also enough to create a gap of space between him and the soldier hip pinning him. He dropped the rifle and lifted his knee into the soldier's groin. The effect was immediate as the soldier released a cry from the pain and tripped backwards to attempt to cradle his crotch.

The Winter Soldier didn't stop and moved his foot to roll one of the batons towards him before kicking up and claiming it with his hand. He jabbed his elbow into the last soldier's side, forcing out a cry before bashing the bottom of the weapon on the man's fingers and wrist, finally eliciting his release. He spun in place and stabbed the weapon into the soldier's throat. Any further screaming was silenced as the lightning fried his throat and killed him.

The blonde finally turned back to the last soldier who still held his crotch in both hands as he laid on the floor. There was no hesitation as he rose the baton and bashed the last soldier with a force that made his helmet bounce against the floor.

The Winter Soldier then finally turned back to the door. He took one of the hidden blades from the grunt soldiers and jabbed it into the split between the doors. He created just enough space to move his hand in and forced open the doors with a grunt.

It was only about halfway open before he took notice of two more squads pushing towards him, one from each floor that he was split between. He quickly shut the door just before one of the soldiers fired a bullet, the round ringing against the steel.

The blonde began to rapidly weigh his options as he looked over the small space. He couldn't take another fight and could feel the effects of the lightning dust. He scrounged through the dead bodies of the soldiers, taking several frags, a rifle and pistol, and riot shield.

Bang! Bang!

"Get the door open!" A soldier shouted from the other side.

The Winter Soldier turned back to the look over the city. He was much lower and could see down the building just enough to see the inkling of ground level. There were still several floors but, through sheer luck, the building had begun to slant.

Chink!

The sound of something being shoved into the door told him that his time was up. He took the pistol and shot the glass several times before lifting the riot shield and taking off full speed, slamming into the glass and flying through it a split second later as it shattered upon contact.

As the door was finally torn open, the squads could only watch as the rogue soldier slid down the building's slope and disappeared from sight as he slammed onto the pavement outside.

-Flash-

General Ironwood fell into his seat unceremoniously. He clenched and unclenched his hand several times, still feeling numb through the palm and digits. He then turned to his prosthetic and moved it as well, noticing it too moved a little sluggish. Whatever was in the injection, it had done a number or his control over the prosthetic as well.

The doctors had told him that it would still be some time before he fully recovered and to try and take it easy. It was the only reason he wasn't heading the hunt for Merlot and The Soldier. Sitting idle wasn't for him but the Winter Soldier was unstable and, in his state, a confrontation may well end in his defeat. Even without his arm, the Winter Soldier still had weapons that he could use and that same instinct that led to the slaughter of more of Ironwood's men.

There were several knocks before the door to his office opened. Winter Schnee stepped in, her gaze as piercing as always, even as she saluted to The General. He paid it little mind as she was always like that, having come used to the cold expression that was unlike her mother's.

"Specialist Schnee," he greeted with a nod. "Take a seat."

She moved without a word as Ironwood leaned forward and lay his forearms folded on the table. His time on the floor had finally allowed him to cool enough to rationally think and he spoke calmly. "Tell me, has there been any sighting of either of them?"

"No sir," she answered before pulling out her scroll. She placed it on the display mount before the image of the scientist and soldier appeared through a hologram. "Dr. Merlot has all but vanished. Even his lab work had been purged and many of his research had been taken. Somehow the security footage that potentially revealed where he went had mysteriously been erased as well." She then swiped the scroll and the hologram swiped to the side as well, showing an image of the runaway blonde rogue with several articles, mission reports, and scientific notes surrounding the image. Then a large video display from inside the elevator was thrown in front of Ironwood. "The Winter Soldier was last seen in the elevator at the south of the medical wing with a full squad of soldiers before leaping out the building through the elevators wall. Three soldiers survived with major injuries, the others were killed."

Ironwood clenched his fist but the numbness forced him to relax it back and take several calming breaths. "His effectiveness has already wavered. This was a project doomed from the start."

"Sir?"

"It's nothing, Specialist." He replied with a clipped tone.

"...Sir, permission to speak freely."

"Granted."

"Most of these files and notes were extremely classified and only through your word was I able to retrieve them. What was this Winter Soldier project and what were the end results?" Winter looked away from the holograms and made sure to look Ironwood into his eyes. "What was the reasoning behind training this child?"

The General rubbed his temple with a heavy sigh. "He is not that much younger than you, Winter. As for the reasoning behind the project, it was some folly ambition to be an answer to the growing issue of the White Fang. Initially it was to be snuffed years ago but...complications from Merlot kept us from pushing our plans forward for several years. It was actually his idea to spare the boy. Between him and Polendina, I would have never accepted this lunacy."

"If you had no belief, why put such weight on one who would be seen as a child?" Winter asked.

The General shook his head. "Initially, I was skeptical but some time ago, he proved his worth and continued to do so. I then entrusted him with a very important mission and he succeeded with flying colors. His failure against Taurus was set to be his final test before I moved him to the forefront of our operations. Now, however, I've realized that mistake and shall rectify it."

Winter wanted to ask more but knew the tone her General used meant the topic of discussion was over. "What will you have us do then, sir?"

"Capturing him is of utmost importance. Lock down all escapes from Atlas and warn Mantle. I want him found. If he resists, do not hesitate to kill him. Brothers knows he won't..."

-Flash-

The Schnee manor was as quiet as can be. There was always an eerie silence about the massive house that sat on its lonesome. If it wasn't a ball or special event, there was never any true life about the manor, even as it was flooded with maids, butlers, groundskeepers, and the Schnee's themselves. Lifeless and as fragile as glass.

Willow Schnee, matriarch of the manor, was no exception to this. She stared down the opening of another empty wine bottle to see the small specks of liquid at the bottom. Lifting it up, hand wrapped firmly around the neck, she tapped the bottom of the bottle, trying to get the last drips of the expensive drink.

It had been another night of the same song and dance that she had fallen into recently. The empty feeling of the manor and lack of her daughters. The distance and constant looks of disappointment of her son. And the dark pitted feeling any time Jacques popped into her mind.

Truly, the only light she found in the recent weeks were the visits from General Ironwood. She didn't know why he had frequented around, whether that was because of Jacques or not, he had been very respectful to her when they spoke.

So color her surprised when an unfamiliar face barged into her room. Not unfamiliar as in completely foreign but as in never in such a state. He had been Ironwood's shadow in recent months, having taken the place of her daughter during their visits. He had always stood tall, silent, and wore a mask but that pure blonde hair and cobalt blue eyes were unmistakable.

Willow had been in her bedroom, something far too large for one person, sitting at the foot of her bed at the time of his arrival. There was no sound until he slumped at the door. His breath had been heavy as if he'd been running and his aura was extremely low. Either he had lost it and was recovering or was close to losing it, she couldn't tell. He was shirtless, covered in a tattered cloth in an attempt to stave off the unbearable cold of the city. And, most notably, his arm was missing, the wrapped stump stained with a dark red, almost brown blotch.

She moved to his side as he struggled to rise and went to touch him, albeit hesitant to do so. But once their eyes met, she swore she could have seen the first signs of life in the boy. A glimmer that she had never seen in the cold, stoic soldier that followed The General without question.

Grip!

"!"

Willow gasped as the Winter Soldier grabbed her hand with his. He was absolutely freezing and she could feel just how exhausted and weak he was through the, still, firm grip. Any remnants of alcohol had left her and she was sobered immediately as she laid her other hand on his cheek, looking into his eyes.

It was a miracle he was alive and confusing on why he had chosen to come here and not to his leader. Who had done this to him and left him in such a state? Those thoughts raced through her mind.

Until he opened his mouth and uttered something almost as chilling as himself.

"Do not trust The General."