Date : 20.04.18
Title : Memory In My Heart
Author : ElaineDex
Chapter : 3 of ?
Rating : M
Pairings : Bucky/OC
Warnings : Some Sexual Content, Romance, Angst, Maybe Some Strong Language.
Spoilersand A/N: Possible references to The Winter Soldier, Civil War, Black Panther (I have not seen Black Panther, nor do I claim to be an expert on The Avengers so please forgive any discrepancies. I am working off of things I have read and movies and trailers that I have seen. Thank you.
Disclaimer : I do not own anything to do with the Marvel franchise. This plot and any O/C's are mine.
Summary : (AU) Can a memory from Bucky's time as The Winter Soldier save him from having to live that kind of life again or will the darkness consume him and lead him to kill everyone he now holds dear?
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A/N : Please excuse my use of Russian further into this Chapter. I had to use Google! Thank you!
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The next morning Molly managed to contact Steve and Sam using the communication device and she told them the situation as it was and that things seemed to be moving more quickly than she had thought they would be. It seemed the Government were in some hurry to have The Winter Soldier ready for his next mission and sooner rather than later.
"Do you know anything about it yet?" Steve asked, glancing at Sam who was pacing Molly's lounge floor. "Where they might be sending him?"
"No, but they definitely want him ready within the next few days," Molly replied. "He's holding on for now, but…" she paused, closing her eyes as she remembered how much pain Bucky had been in the night before. "I'll do everything I can to help him, but they want the treatment to be so aggressive and if it gets too much…"
"I know…" Steve said softly, then added, "…and I know you'll do what you can for him and as soon as you know anything more get in touch, okay?"
"I will…" Molly replied.
They cut the connection and Molly reattached the device beneath her breast as Natasha had shown her. She couldn't risk leaving it in her room just in case the powers that be decided to do a spot search…they were paranoid that way.
'With good reason…' Molly thought as she pulled on her lab coat and picked up her notes and taking a deep breath she left and headed to the lab, running into Doctor Hanning en-route and she tried not to grimace as he smiled at her.
"Good morning Doctor Evans," Hanning began before asking, "Did you have fun tucking our Soldier in last night?"
Molly looked at him, but his expression seemed genuine enough and as they headed for the stairs she replied, "Fun is hardly what I would call it."
Hanning smirked at her, moving ahead before calling back over his shoulder.
"You know, you should join me for dinner one evening if you're that lonely…"
Molly stopped in her tracks and Hanning lifted a hand to wave without looking back and even though she opened her mouth, nothing came out. She took a moment, letting her irritation die down before she eventually followed the route Hanning had taken down into the lab.
Bucky wasn't there, but she'd known he wouldn't be. He had physical training with the military soldiers first thing and so she concentrated on setting up her station and trying to calibrate the machine to an even lower setting than she had had it on the day previous, hoping that no-one noticed or asked what she was doing.
OoO
Bucky had not wanted to cooperate. He didn't want to fight the military soldiers or run for miles just so that his captors could gauge his fitness levels. He wanted to stand there and let them shoot him as they threatened to if he didn't do what they wanted…even though they all knew what an empty threat that was. They needed him whereas he couldn't care less if he was there or not…aside from the fact that he'd dragged Molly into this now…and Steve and, if he was truthful with himself, he wanted a shot at a normal life or whatever kind of life he could piece together away from people like this.
Gritting his teeth he concentrated on the noise of his feet pounding against the treadmill and decided to embrace the exercise at least. The stronger he got, the worse it would be for them when he broke free…
OoO
The day ended much as it had the day before, with Molly finishing the session early and bearing the brunt of the military Colonel's displeasure before being told to shut things down.
"Tomorrow I want more…." the Colonel said with a glower before he left with his entourage and as Molly turned back to her station, Hanning sidled up to her.
"You know…he's going to get suspicious if you carry on like this," he said and Molly looked at him.
"Suspicious of what? There is nothing to be suspicious of…"
Hanning raised an eyebrow and chuckled in his usual sickly way before heading off with the other scientists, leaving her to administer to Bucky again.
"I'm sorry…" she said as she quickly injected another dose of pain meds into his arm, "…there is no way not to go through with that part, but I have been lowering the settings…"
Bucky shook his head and though he didn't speak, his eyes told her that he understood.
"It'll be over soon…" she tried to assure him, wishing that there was a way she could free him right there and then, but she knew they'd never make it out. Impulsively she moved his hair away from his eyes and pressed her palm to his cheek. A noise from the lab room on the other side of the open security doors made her jump and she took a step back, glancing over her shoulder before saying to Bucky, "I'll see you in the morning."
Bucky's eyes followed her from the lab until she vanished from view, but he frowned as he saw one of the other scientists, the one from yesterday…Hanning…move out from behind a piece of machinery in the other room, following Molly, but before he could try to call out, the blast doors slammed shut, cutting him off.
OoO
Molly was almost at the door to her quarters when Hanning appeared at her side yet again and her footsteps faltered as he said casually, "How about that dinner?"
"Um…no…I can't, not tonight," she replied, stopping as she reached her door, her heart beginning to accelerate when Hanning leaned against the wall to her right.
"Why not?" he asked, his voice not quite as pleasant as he went on, "Got a certain Winter Soldier to dream about?"
Molly paused in searching for her room key card and looked at Hanning.
"Don't be…" she began, but gasped as Hanning stepped closer and grabbed her elbow painfully, making her wince as he cut her off, "Don't say ridiculous…"
Molly tried to move away from him, but he held her fast, his fingers digging into her skin even through her lab coat.
"I heard what you said to him you know…imagine what would happen if I told…"
It was Molly's turn to cut him off then as fear made her react and she took a step away, snatching her arm from his grasp.
"If you told them what? That I talk to him…they already know that I do that. I always did it…and why would they believe whatever lies you want to create? They trust me with the memory suppression…they didn't put you in charge of it did they…and why was that…?"
She stopped as Hanning all but growled at her and began to move away.
"This isn't done…" he snarled at her as he headed off down the corridor and Molly watched him go, shaking a little and she quickly retrieved her key card with trembling fingers and let herself into her room, locking the door behind her.
"Shit…" she breathed, closing her eyes and wondering if she should contact Steve.
'And tell him what?' she asked herself as she threw her stuff down onto her bed. She didn't know if Hanning would act upon his suspicions and even if he did, what could Steve do from the outside. No, she had to play it cool and if Hanning did speak to anyone, she'd deal with it then…somehow…
OoO
The next morning, Molly entered the lab to find Bucky was dressed in full combat gear…still strapped to the chair, but she didn't like the look of it. Military types were milling around in greater numbers than usual and a quick glance up alerted her to the fact that visitors, important ones judging by the cut of their suits, were watching from the observation room.
She risked a glance at Bucky and he met her eyes briefly, his brooding look doing nothing to ease her worries, worries that doubled when she felt someone move close to her side and she turned to see Hanning and she groaned inwardly.
She went to step away, but he placed a hand at the small of her back and Molly ceased moving lest it make the contact worse.
"Did you think any more on what I said?" Hanning murmured, his mouth close to her ear, his eyes on the Winter Soldier who seemed to be scowling at him.
"No…" Molly replied, moving her head away from him and Hanning turned his gaze to her then.
"You meet me tonight or I'll speak to the Colonel about what you've been doing…"
"I haven't been doing anything…" Molly began, making another move to step away, but Hanning shifted his hand from her back to grip her wrist and she couldn't help the gasp and the involuntary jerk of her body as pain shot up her arm as he applied pressure.
"You're lying!" he hissed.
"No…"
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Bucky's fists clenched as he watched the exchange between Molly and the other scientist and though he couldn't hear what the guy was saying to her, it was obvious to him what was going on. He began to put pressure on the restraints of the chair that held his new arm down and was maybe seconds away from busting it open when the Colonel who seemed to be in charge shouted for quiet and Bucky stilled, watching as Hanning moved away from Molly and back to his own station.
"Please….Doctors….it has been decided to move proceedings along. Today we will forgo the mind suppression and instead test out how in control of our Soldier we are…"
He held out a hand and someone passed him the small red leather book with the Soviet star engraved upon the front.
Molly swore under her breath.
"Sir…" she began, but the Colonel held up the hand holding the book.
"Doctor Evans, I understand your concerns, but time is pressing…" he gave her a look that told her he would brook no argument and she looked away, her eyes going to Bucky who looked like he wanted to kill someone already.
As the Colonel moved closer to Bucky, Hanning chuckled in that sickly way that he did and Molly turned her back on him, too concerned about what was happening right then. This was not good…not good at all and there was nothing that she could do to stop it.
The room quietened as the Colonel stood before Bucky and said, "So, Sergeant Barnes…let's see where this leads us hmmm?"
Bucky didn't respond and the Colonel smirked before opening the book.
"Zhelaniye…Rzhavyy…Semnadtsat…"
The first three words…Longing, Rusted and Seventeen began to have their effect and Molly wrapped her arms around herself as Bucky began to shake his head as though in denial.
"Rassvet…Pech…Devyat…"
Daybreak, Furnace, Nine…
Bucky began to fight harder against his restraints.
"Dobroserdechnyy…Vozvrashcheniye na rodinu…Odin…"
Benign, Homecoming, One…
Molly closed her eyes against the sound of the guttural cry Bucky let out as he won his fight against the restraints of the chair, breaking free and it was only when the Colonel all but shouted the last words, "Gruzovoy vagon," Freight Car, that he stopped, inches from the other man and became silent.
As the Colonel moved and placed the book on the end of her station, Molly knew she had to try something…anything…to stop this. She didn't know if they intended to send Bucky out that day, but she couldn't risk it.
"Colonel, please…" she began as he began to move away and then, for a moment at least, time seemed to slow as Hanning stepped out from behind his station.
"Don't listen to her…she's a traitor!" he yelled and immediately, all the military in the room came to attention.
"Are you out of your mind!" Molly hissed at Hanning, glancing at the Colonel, who was looking between them with some confusion.
"What is this about?" he asked, clearly less than pleased at the untimely interruption.
"He has a vendetta against me because I won't sleep with him!" Molly said, wanting to get her answer in before Hanning did.
The Colonel looked like he was about to blow his stack as some of his men sniggered at the accusation and Hanning went red in the face.
"Get this idiot out of here…" The Colonel said, but as two soldiers stepped forward to grab Hanning, the weasel played his hand.
"Ask her why she's been dialling back the machine on both mind wipes…ask her why she told him it would be over soon…"
Slowly the Colonel turned and looked at Hanning, weighing him up before he faced Molly.
"Is this true?" he asked and even though Molly shook her head, she knew that her guilt was written all over her face. She'd never been able to lie and even if she had, she doubted it would have done her much good now.
As the Colonel muttered his disbelief at the situation that was unfolding, Molly took a step toward the edge of her station and as he told his men to take her, she slammed her hand down hard on a button that she knew would send a dividing wall crashing down between where she, Bucky, the Colonel and Hanning stood and where the rest of the scientists and the Military soldiers where positioned. It was an extra precaution that had been installed along with the blast doors should Bucky become uncontrollable.
"What the hell…" the Colonel began, twisting to ensure he wasn't hit by the wall as it came down and Molly took that opportunity to scramble to where Bucky still stood awaiting orders, his face expressionless.
An alarm began to sound and Molly glanced up to see the 'suits' being evacuated from the observation room above. Turning away, she placed a hand tentatively on Bucky's shoulder.
"Soldat?" she said the word Soldier in Russian and immediately his response came back, "Ya gotov otvechat…"
Ready to comply.
The Colonel swung back to face them after making sure he wasn't hit by the wall, his face contorted with anger and indignation and though it went against everything Molly wanted to do, knowing what it would lead to, she knew she had no option but to say, "Self preserve…leave this place…and…" she paused and as Bucky turned his head to look at her over his shoulder she asked,
"Take me with you?"
End of Chapter Three