They had been mentally preparing for their upcoming fight, eager to finally end their almost year-long mission. Understandably so, Maize had been quiet since they had lurked around the doctor's property, finding him inside. Bucky, being the gentleman he was, refrained from asking about her mental status, but as the next day followed and Maize still said nothing, her silence was deafening. It wasn't until Bucky returned to their motel from picking up food to find the woman slouched in the corner, knees to chest and her arms wrapped around them, that he realized she was not okay.
Her tear-stained face also gave it away.
Helping to clean her up, Bucky offered an ear to listen and a shoulder to lean on. Maize, however, declined the offer, stating they needed to focus on the task at hand. He admired her strength and understood where it came from, but he also worried for her. How was she going to act with the pent-up emotions?
When nightfall came, the two began to get themselves ready for the fight. Bucky cocked one of the many handguns he had acquired from previous successful missions, switching on the safety before placing the weapon onto the wooden tabletop. Maize appeared beside him, setting another gun next to his. She placed a brief hand on his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze as she moved across the room to retrieve the remaining weapons needed for their last mission.
Once all the firearms and knives were secured in a duffel bag, Bucky dropped it on his twin bed. The two shared a look - their eyes never tearing from the other as the woman pulled on her leather jacket and untucked her hair. Maize's face fell at the realization: they might not ever see each other again. Somehow, she just knew Bucky settled on the same thought when his gaze fell on the ground.
She wanted to say something, anything, to thank him for his companionship throughout their journey. To share how grateful she was for the late-night conversations and laughter. Thank him for helping her feel human for the first time in a very long time.
Nothing came.
Instead, Maize took a step forward, wrapping her arms around his neck in an embrace. It was their first shared hug. The woman smiled into it, liking the feel of his warmth against hers. Feeling Bucky's hand rub her back, Maize took in his scent and sighed.
Finally, they took a step back. Bucky reached for the duffel bag, hoisting it over his shoulder. The two shared another glance and nod before the man moved to the door. Maize watched intently as he crossed through the threshold, closing the door behind him. For a moment, she prayed to whatever gods that were listening that she'd see him again.
"This is it," Maize told herself, making her way toward the door. She took one last glance before flipping the light switch, filling the room with darkness.
Bucky drove in silence to the Global-1 facility in the white van he had hotwired earlier that day. It was a little after one in the morning. Something in his gut told him everything was going to be okay. It was a comforting thought. Even during the many months of being on the run with Maize, Bucky had felt a sense of peace with her but still held a fear. He constantly looked over his shoulder expecting to see a member of HYDRA ready to take him back to their secret lair and return the Winter Soldier. And no matter how many times he fell back into that feat Maize would assure him they were safe and out of harm's reach.
Bucky smiled at the memories as he crawled to the back of the van where he had stuffed the duffel bag. One by one he pulled out the firearms, placing them next to one another. He did the same with the knives. Hanging on the wall of the vehicle was his tactical Winter Soldier gear. He sighed, hoping it would be the last time he would ever have to wear the uniform again.
"Front door. Stairwell. Elevator." He repeated his first three [goals] in a low hum, piecing together the gear on himself. He then quickly secured the firearms and knives on himself. He needed to be well prepared for a solo fight like this one.
Once he was finished and confident with his weapons, the man crawled back up to the front of the van. Pulling out his burner phone, Bucky clicked through the options to find his voicemail. Previously, in an area away from him, Maize had called and recorded the trigger words on his voicemail for this moment, knowing they were going to be apart.
Bucky took a deep breath. He pressed play.
Maize flicked off the headlights from the car as she approached Dr. Schreidner's driveway. Parking off the side of the road, she sat back in the seat, taking in a breath. The reality of what was going to happen slowly set in causing her nerves to shake. Everything they had been through, everything she had been through all led up to this moment. There were countless nights where Maize would fantasize about the assassination of the doctor, all by her hands. While she had cooked up the plan to take down HYDRA, Global-1 following, the fact was, Maize didn't fully believe it could be done.
Exiting the vehicle, Maize pulled the hood over her head as she quickly, but quietly made her way through the small grove of trees surrounding the home. Once she was done dodging low branches and trying not to trip on overgrown roots, the woman spotted the small wooden cabin. Lights were bright through the front windows and Maize could make out the top of the doctor's head from where she was.
Reaching the cabin, she skillfully peeked through the window. Dr. Schreidner was sitting in his living room, fireplace lit with a book in his lap and a glass of dark liquid in his hand. The rage within her began to tremble causing her core to tighten.
Flashback.
Sleep in the Global-1 prisons was hard to come by, even for a longtime resident like Maize. There was always a low light flickering in the corner of the room with a low, consistent hum ringing in her ears. Late at night one could hear the footsteps of the guards pacing the corridors along with their keys jingling against their thighs. Every so often, depending on how exhausted the woman was, Maize would be able to drown out the sound and catch a few hours of sleep. But that was rare. Most nights she would spend it dreaming of freedom far away from society, enjoying life away from metal.
A reality too far from reach.
That night Maize had been sitting on her bed, back against the wall with her legs to her chest. Arms wrapping around her knees, Maize kept her head down, counting the footsteps from the overnight guard to keep her mind occupied.
Ears perked when another set of footsteps accompanied the guard's; footsteps Maize dreaded to hear.
Quickly the woman moved to the opposite side of the room, pushing herself as much into the corner as she could fit. Keys turned the lock before Dr. Kent Schreidner walked through with a devious smirk. "Maize, my favorite girl."
Wiping the tear from her cheek, Maize laid her back flat against the wall of the home desperately trying to control her emotions. When she felt as if she had a good grasp of herself, Maize pushed up, making her way to the door.
Using her power to push the knob off the door, the barrier swung wide open.
"I knew it was only a matter of time when I saw you and your lackey at that coffee shop." Maize narrowed her eyes, taking a few steps into the cabin. Dr. Schreidner didn't flinch. He didn't move apart from closing the book, placing it onto the side table.
"Then why stay?" Maize questioned in a low voice.
"It's time I atone for my sins," he told her. "So go on with it."
"Not until you tell me why," she demanded, lowering her hood.
"Why what?" the doctor asked, followed by a chuckle.
"Why was I so special to keep around? So many walked through those doors and ended up in unmarked graves and yet I was kept for over 70 years." Her voice trembled. "Why me? And why was it so easy to rent me out to HYDRA?"
"Because I believe you truly are a good person. Especially after you refused to kill anyone even though you have the ability to do so while barely lifting a finger." The doctor sighed. "And it is because of that reason why I chose to rent you out to HYDRA; they promised they wouldn't have you kill anyone - they simply needed you to make sure your buddy stayed in line. If I had kept you with me, Global-1 would have forced you to kill. If you didn't, they would've killed you."
Maize stood quiet, processing his words.
"You're not a monster, Maize. I know you're not."
"I'm your monster," she spoke as if in a daze. While Maize stood motionless, eyes glossed over, the house around her began to shake. "You should have let them kill me!" she screamed. Without realizing it, her feet hovered over the floor, her toes barely touching. "It would have been better than this. No life is better than the life I lived."
Her eyes grew dark, the golden hue no longer visible. The house shook, windows shattering and particles from the ceiling began falling upon them. The doctor shielded himself from it and rose to his feet. On the wall above the fireplace hung a vintage sword. Maize caught the glimmer from the metal and immediately forced the weapon from the wall and into the doctor's chest.
She watched the life drain from his eyes, his limp body falling onto the floor. Suddenly the home stopped shaking, the last remnants of dust falling onto the floor. His blood began pooling around him. Maize's feet touched the floor once again as her eyes returned to their beautiful golden hues. Quiet surrounded her besides the sound of the rapid wind entering through broken windows.
It seemed like everything was happening in slow motion around her but all Maize could focus on was the horrific view in front of her.
Maize had been present while Winter Soldier murdered plenty of ordered marks, turning away at just the last second. She had never wanted to witness anyone's life ending or watch as life drained from their bodies. This was different.
She had finally killed; not just the doctor, but killed someone in general. While Maize knew the doctor deserved every bit of pain for all that he caused, it still sickened her to know she was capable of stooping to his level.
Backing into the wall, the woman dropped to the floor. Her eyes never moved from the doctor, whose lifeless gaze was still on her.
When Bucky came to, he was sitting in the van still parked a block away from the facility. Blinking the fogginess away, a hand rubbed his forehead as he was greeted by a giant smoke cloud. Nearby were sirens coming to put out the fire that had succumbed to Global-1. "Just in time," he mumbled to himself. Igniting the engine, Bucky quickly drove down the road, passing by the fire trucks coming to the rescue.
As he made his way back to the motel, Bucky thought only of Maize and hoped she was there. He prayed nothing had happened to her and that her smiling face was waiting for him to greet him and declare their mission completed. Sadly, when Bucky pulled into the parking lot, her car was nowhere to be found. Still, he remained hopeful. Jumping out of the van, Bucky ran to their assigned room, swiping the keycard only to find a dark room and no Maize.
"You need to be alive," Bucky spoke through gritted teeth.
Turning on his heel, the man hopped back into the van and sped off toward the doctor's home. Street light after street light, white lines whizzing by one after the other, Bucky's only focus was getting to the residents as fast as he could to ensure Maize wasn't hurt.
The drive took approximately thirty minutes too long for his anxious mind. Seeing their car parked outside the driveway told Bucky she at least made it to the home. Driving up the dark path, he spotted the home and saw the lights on; the windows shattered.
"Damn," he mumbled under his breath. Shutting off the vehicle, Bucky ran up the stairs. He quickly froze in the doorway as soon as he spotted the doctor's body lying in a pool of blood, a sword sticking out from his chest.
Beside him, on the floor, rested Maize. Her gaze never stayed forward. While the woman was generally very good at hiding her emotions, the year-long partnership allowed Bucky to learn her body language. He knew just how scared she really was.
Neither of them said anything as Bucky slid down the wall next to her. They sat in silence for a few more minutes before Maize rose to her feet.
"Frankenstein is gone. And so is his monster."