Chapter Fourteen

The soldier was beyond anything he'd ever felt before. He guessed they would call this numb. He remembered it all, waking up attacking Steve, fighting Stark. Everything. And now he was waiting for his punishment. He'd done wrong he deserved it. When he woke he'd found himself restrained and all he could feel was relief. Finally, something he could understand.

He had done wrong, now he would be punished to learn never to do it again.

Dr. banner sat in his seat a good space away watching as well as Stark who was leaning up against Banners desk watching and waiting with his arms crossed, he was wearing a bright red shirt with the strange word 'Metallica' written across it.

They were waiting for Steve; Sam had gone to get him so Steve could punish him. The tense silence was also filled with anticipation.

The sounds of approaching footsteps had the two looking towards the door, where's the solider stayed still, waiting. It wasn't long before Steve large presence filled the room, hesitantly he stepped towards the bed he was currently being kept in.

"Buck?" the soft spoke words had the soldier looking up at Steve. Taking in the man's worn down looking, dark circle under his eyes highlighting his fatigue; worry was etched into his facial expression. Steve must have seen something in the soldier confused gaze as the next thing he knew his face was being pressed into Steve chest as his arms came down around him, locking him into a tight embrace.

"Oh thank god, you scared the crap out of me you jerk."

Something inside the soldier made him bravely respond "I'm sorry, bitch" around him Steve shook with laughter. Pretty soon the heavy tension in the room faded away with what was left being an awkward silence as Steve refused to let up the hug.

"Steve, it's beyond weird now." Stark pointed out and reluctantly Steve released the soldier but remained by his side. Lowering his head, the soldier asked.

"When will I be punished?"

"Punished, why do you think we will punish you Bucky?" there was no mistaking Banners soft but firm tone.

"I did wrong, I hurt Steve. I must be punished to learn" he carefully explained.

"you hurt Steve, is that all you remember?"

At his words the soldier looked up "Yes, d-did I hurt someone else?"

He tried to think, he remembered Steve struggling beneath his hands, a flash of light, something on his back he quickly removed, Steve losing consciousness and then fighting Stark.

"It's not important Buck" Steve tried to brush it all off "Everyone is okay and on the mend and now we're going to get you some real help, just being here with us clearly isn't helping you completely."

"Help?" he'd been told he was getting help, being fixed before. It only caused him pain.

"A specialist for cases like yours, someone who you can talk to about everything you've been through, no judgment, no pain and all at your own speed."

"I-I don't understand"

"The specialist is like Dr. Banner. A nice person who just wants to help you not hurt you. Okay?"

"O-okay."

Steve smiled, beneath all his worry lines and all that super solider serum he still had that baby face Bucky remember from their childhood. "Alright, get some rest for now, I'll bring you something to eat and then we can see about getting you washed up. You're starting to smell again."

Smiling to himself the soldier eased up and relaxed back, Steve faintly heard him mumble the word "Jerk" under his breath as he left the room.

With a hot tray of vegetable soup, fresh buttered bread and a bottle of water in hand Steve walked his way out of the kitchen only to come colliding with a frantic Banner. Thankfully his reflexes had him hold the tray out to the side to avoid spillage.

"Dr. Banner are you okay?"

"I can't find the soldier!" he practically yelled and that was all it took for Steve to go into Captain America mode.

"JARVIS WHERE IS BUCKY?"

Sir, the soldier is currently in the med bay in Romanoff's room

"Alert everyone"

Done sir.

"Banner, go get a tranquiller and meet me up there."

With that they sprinted into action, with Steve meeting Sam and Barton on the stairs as they all ran up. Arriving at the right floor Steve took the lead charging further ahead and bursting into the room. Where they all came to a stop at what they saw.

Bucky was sitting in a chair next to her bed while she slept soundly and sedated. Holding her hand in his real one. Exactly how they had found Romanoff at Bucky's bedside, easing forward Steve remained alert and ready.

"Bucky? What are you doing in here?"

Without turning he said "I know her"

Sam edged round to the other side of the bed "Of course you do, you've already met her Bucky its Natasha"

Not taking his eyes off her he slowly shook his head "That's not her name"

"What do you mean" said Barton from the door way as he took the tranquilizer gun from Banner who had just arrived with Stark in tow.

"her names Natalia" Barton froze and lowered the gun much to everyone's confusion.

"How do you know that Bucky?"

"I told you, I know her"

"Okay but how do you know her? she's not gone by that name in years. Only few people know her by that name."

"I used to call her Natalia and she called me Soldier"

"when did you meet her?" Sam asked, sharing a look with Steve.

"I-I don't remember."

"That's okay Bucky" Sam replied "Take your time, tell us what you do remember?"

"we were in a room; I didn't understand it but she showed me how"

"Showed you how to what Buck?" Steve croaked feeling more and more uneasy as he spoke

"she, she showed-" the soldier broke off and shook his head, whilst still looking at Natasha analyzing every feature on her face "When will she wake?"

"she's still healing Buck; we're keeping her sedated for the time being"

"you keep her sleeping?" the soldier's eyes narrowed

"Just so she'll actually heal"

"You keep her sleeping" the solider said more to himself than any else.

"Buck-"

"Wake her up" his soft tone did nothing to hide the command in his voice "Wake her"

The events that unfolded before Steve's very eye will be singed into his memory forever.

Sensing the atmosphere in the room take a huge dive, Barton lifts his bow and fires off two stun arrows to distract the soldier as he charged forward and goes to shoot the soldier with the tranquilizer gun. As if anticipating Barton's moves from behind him the soldier deflects the arrows avoiding meeting the stun with his gaze. Ducks down and sweeps Barton off his feet with a single kick to his left knee. His scream of pain was heard as all at once the team lunged at Bucky to do anything, to stop him, to help Barton if possible but it was all for nothing.

Grabbing a pained Barton from the floor, Bucky twists him round to face us in his arms and digs the sharp fingers of his metal arm deep into Barton's neck, drawing blood and more pained sounds from Barton.

"Get back!" he barked and pushed his fingers further into his neck, too close to his jugular for comfort, the team took note of the blood slowly trailing out of the corners of Barton's mouth.

"Bucky, just think about this" Steve tried to plead but he was dismissed before he was halfway through.

"Dr. Banner, wake her up or I will rip Agent Barton's throat out. Don't make any sudden moves or I'll remove my fingers the wrong way and he'll bleed out before you can save him" at this moment in time Steve was frightened.

He'd had to fight the soldier before and had seen his skills then but now at this moment in time he was getting a glimpse into just how ruthless and dangerous Hydras asset truly was.

Dr. Banner looked for help but found a shared look among everyone, they had no choice.

"Dr. Banner wake her up" Was all Stark said for Bruce to get to work.