Chapter 8 – An Orphan Boy (1991)
I woke up again, but with a different man in front of me.
"Don't think you can get into my mind Miss Stark" he said. "My name is Alexander Pierce and I'm the Winter Soldier's new handler."
"Do you have a mission for me?" I asked, toying with the ring Williams had given me the first time I'd come back from a mission. I'd been in and out of cryo for however many years it had been since my first mission. I'd watched dozens, maybe hundreds of innocent people murdered at the hands of the Winter Soldier and now I was emotionally broken. Murder didn't faze me anymore, I'd broken down multiple people mentally before the Winter Soldier would finish them off. My job had become incapacitating the victims so they couldn't escape. My power had grown enough for me to escape but I'd fought the urge every time I'd been released from my icy prison.
"Yes. The Winter Soldier will take you there and you will cause a car accident so he can finish them off easily" he told me.
"Okay" I nodded. I never wanted to know names anymore, I didn't need to know the names of my victims, it hurt too much.
"See you in two days" Pierce said and motioned for me to leave. I left the facility and sat in silence on the motorcycle with my partner-in-crime. When we got to our allocated position, I stood in the middle of the road and when a car came towards us, I threw fear at the driver and he turned away, crashing into a nearby tree. The Winter Soldier walked over to the driver's side and ripped the door off its hinges.
"Please, help my wife" the man begged. I recognised the voice. I peered over the Winter Soldier's shoulder and then grabbed his metal arm.
"No" I ordered him. I looked to the man again, he was an old man now. "Howard?" I asked.
"That's not possible, you died" he said. Looking over my features. "Madeline" he smiled. He reached for my face, probably to see if I was real, but the Winter Soldier grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the car before beating him to death.
"No! Stop! Please! You'll kill him" I screamed, trying to rip him from Howard. When the Winter Soldier stopped, Howard was dead. He positioned Howard back in the driver's seat before walking to the passenger's side and strangling the woman. My sister-in-law that I'd never met…Williams had mentioned I had a nephew. I checked the back seat of the car, thankful that my nephew was safe from the Soldier.
"The mission is complete" the Soldier said. Tears were streaming down my face as I looked up at him.
"You're a monster" I growled, I was furious. He ignored me and shot the security cameras before grabbing my arm but I shook him off.
"Get on the motorcycle" he ordered me.
"No." He shoved me in the direction of the motorcycle and I threw myself on the ground, defiant.
"If you don't come with me willingly then I'll go get a car and shove you in the trunk." I glared at him.
"Let me see my nephew" I said.
"No. We go back to base" he told me. I curled in a ball and ignored him.
"I'm not going anywhere until I know he's okay." I felt a hand grab the hood of my jacket and lift me to my feet. "Put me down" I yelled. He threw me on his shoulder and the metal was cold against my skin where my shirt had moved.
"Our mission is complete" he told me and started walking to the motorcycle before he sat me on the grass.
"I don't care. That was my brother you just killed" I shouted at him. I stood up and glared at him.
"Come back willingly or I'll drag you back" he threatened. I watched him pace for a few seconds before he walked back to me and nodding. "Fine."
When we returned to HYDRA I had hidden our little detour from them, and I assume so did the Winter Soldier since HYDRA didn't put a hit out on Tony. Tony Stark. My nephew. The orphaned boy, and I'd been part of making him that way.
"You did your job. Now back to bed for a few more years" Pierce smiled and locked me in my chamber to be frozen again. Next time I got out, would be the time I planned my escape. I couldn't do this anymore. Not after witnessing my brother's death.