It starts the same way each time. He is taken off the ice. As he unfreezes a serum is injected into his body to replace his damaged cells. Liquid is pumped out of his lungs. Before he can even stand he is dragged to the chair.
He does not remember many things. But he remembers the chair each time. He remembers the pain and horror of the chair. Of having everything stripped from his mind. A blank space where pictures used to hang. He remembers forgetting.
Each time, as he screams in frustration and pain, he hears the words.
Words that accompany the lull in the electric currents. Words that promise respite no matter how small. No matter how fleeting. Words that make him forget.
"Доброе утроб." His Handler says. He looks up. It is a different man. An older man. It makes no difference.
"Готовый подчиняться."
It is his first solo mission.
At least that is what the doctors and scientists that prep his arm say. They act as though he cannot hear them. That is good. He is a weapon. An assassin. The fist of HYDRA. He should be quiet. Unseen. Unheard. Unknown.
He shifts.
His arm whirs, startling the scientists. Before, he may have laughed at them. He's not sure. He doesn't remember. But now he stays quiet. Waiting.
The Handler shows up. He throws a folder in the Assassin's lap. He stares at it.
Waits.
The Handler takes his time. Lighting a cigarette. Asking the chief scientist about his wife. Blowing the smoke into the Killer's face. Finally, he gestures towards the folder. The Weapon opens it.
"Your target is a man with extreme political influence. He's old. HYDRA dictates that its time for him to retire."
Smoke curls in the air.
"You're job is to infiltrate, study, and dispose of your target. There is no extraction. There is no back up. Failure will result in your death. Do you understand?"
He does not answer. He is not supposed too.
They dress him in tactical gear. Arm him with weapons. Fine-tune the reaction time in his arm. He is given a mask. They say it hides his skin in the shadows but he knows it's a muzzle. Meant to keep him quiet. To remind him of his place. They send him out.
He will not fail.
He is kept awake long enough to see the fruits of his labors.
It was disgustingly easy. He never even had to raise a hand. The man's old age and stupidity practically did the job for him. Infiltration was nothing. For such an important figure his dacha was grossly under guarded. After that, all he had to do was slip one too many of the man's anticoagulant pills into a few of his –many– drinks.
The man's poor health did the rest.
He is not allowed to be proud of his actions. He should not feel pride. He should not feel.
He does not.
The Handler watches as he is placed in his tube. His lungs are pumped full of liquid. A serum is injected to protect his body against salt deposits, shrinking and dehydrating cells and the stress of the freeze. The Handler flicks the last of his cigarette away. In the background the sound of a radio newscaster laminates about the tragic death of Russia's leader Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin. The Handler lights another cigarette. As the tube begins to close, he hears it. Something he will not remember the next time he finds himself in the chair. But its something ingrained in his mind. Something he will always know.
"молодец. Зймний Солдат."
A/N:
Доброе утро - Good Morning.
Готовый подчиняться - Ready to comply.
молодец. Зймний Солдат - Well done. Winter Soldier. (молодец is literally translated as "ace" or "fine fellow" but is usually translated to English as "well done." or "good job".)
I'll be perfectly honest with you. I'm just learning Russian. I'm not good at all yet. If anyone has a better translation (grammar rules!) please, please, please PM me and let me know. I'm having to self teach and its not easy or ideal.
So the most dangerous part about (hypothetical-at-the-moment-scientists-are-working-on-it) cryopreservation is the formation of ice crystals in and outside of the cells, dehydration, and solute deposits (big one is salt from what I understand). HYDRA would have to have a sort of cryoprotectant in order to keep Bucky's body safe from the dangers. I would also think they'd need some form of a serum to help jumpstart his body into healing mode since his super-soldier serum isn't as perfected as Steve's.
Fluorocarbon. Look it up. Talk about totally badass stuff! I'd imagine that they'd use it on Bucky to give his lungs a way to adapt back into breathing during/directly after the defrost. Especially while rehydrating his body.
Are author's notes annoying? I really can't decide.