A/N Another chapter! Let me know what you think.
2016, Siberia
It had all fallen apart and so now, they stood divided. This wasn't at all how it was supposed to go, this wasn't what they stood for. How could the Avengers manage to protect the world when they were flat out protecting themselves from each other?
Everyone knew in that room, after Zemo had shown Stark the recording, that this was the last straw. There would be no going back after that. Steve didn't blame Tony for his actions, he just wished that Stark would understand that Bucky wasn't responsible.
After the fight between the three had ended, Bucky was left damaged, bloodied and bruised. The blast from the suit had almost obliterated his metal arm – almost. Left with a sizable chunk missing, Bucky was hardly able to operate it.
With laboured breathes, Steve had gotten up from his hunched position over Tony's shocked form. Ripping the shield from Starks suit, he staggered over to help his friend "That shield doesn't belong to you" spoke Tony "You don't deserve it. My father made that shield"
Steve paused before looking up at the cement ceiling. He dropped it and the shield clattered to the ground. Tony's right. The two super Soldiers continued to walk forward "What now?" asked Bucky as they wandered the narrow, silent halls.
Steve replied with a sigh "I don't know Buck"
I'd blacked out.
Staring up at the high concrete ceiling, I whimpered as I felt the sharp pain erupt in my ribs. I can taste iron in my mouth. Looking look down, I found the black handle of a military knife sticking straight out of my bleeding wound. He missed. My frowns furrowed in confusion. The Soldier never misses.
Laying down, I didn't dare move as I could feel the blade scrape up inside of me. It's close to a view of my essential organs and arteries. A centimetre over and I'd be dead in a matter of seconds. Carefully reaching up, I was going to try and pull it out when I heard the sound of boots approaching. Closing my eyes, I went limp as they approached. I could feel warmth as someone crouched over me. Fingers pressed against my neck for a pulse.
"She's alive" spoke the Soldier "And awake"
I opened my eyes with a glare. He stood crouched beside me and peering into my brown eyes. If I had the chance, I'd kill him now. It's not over, not yet. Glancing over me, the Soldiers eyes trailed down to look at the knife. His flesh hand took hold of the handle, and my hand shot out to clutch the material of his jacket. Is he going to finish it? Is he going to kill me?
Pulling out the blade with one quick movement, I sucked in a breath as my teeth gritted from the pain. Blood started to drip out of the open wound. Stepping into view, Steve Rogers nodded his head "Alright, we'll take her with us" he said before swapping position with the Soldier. Leaning down, he picked me up into strong arms. My vision of the world began to turn a little as I became disorientated.
Carrying me into the Quinjet, the Captain sat me in a chair on the side of the jet and harnessed me with the buckles "We'll need to make a stop first. Natasha's given me the location of where they're keeping the others" turning around, Steve went and sat down at the control chair next to the Soldier "Are you sure she's going to be okay?" Steve asked while nodding his head in my direction.
"It'll heal by itself" replied the Soldier as he flicked a few switches. Giving them a quick glance, I felt the engine of the jet rumble. The ramp closed up and soon we were taking off into the sky. I winced at the pain the turbulence caused.
Flying, I watched the clouds turn to grey as small drops of water started to pour onto the windscreen. I was silent as the hours ticked by. We'd made it out on the sea and the large structure soon began to uncover itself from the fog "There" said Steve as he looked up ahead "The Raft. It shouldn't be too hard"
Going into stealth mode, the Captain landed the jet on the large ship like building and pressed a button. The ramp of the Quinjet opened up and I felt the cold gust of wind and rain blow in. I felt a chill run up my spine. Getting up from the control chair, Steve walked past me to collect the rest of his friends from their captives.
It was quiet once the ramp door closed and I was left with only the Soldier as company "Where are you taking me?" I rumbled out, my throat tight and dry.
Turning in his chair, he replied "Steve knows a place. Somewhere we can lay low until everything settles down. They can help you there – fix you"
We stared at each other "You want to fix me?" I asked "What makes you think I'm broken?"
"Whatever they did to you –" I didn't give him the chance to finish.
"What you did" I snapped "Or did you forget?"
The Soldier shook his head "Of course I haven't, but that wasn't me. I wasn't myself. I didn't know what I was doing" he defended. A crease formed on his forehead, as if the Soldier were in deep thought over the matter.
"You can't blame them for everything. You might think you've never had a choice in the things you've done, but there's always a choice" I replied "Your friend won't be able to save you. No one can save you. There's no going back. The James Barnes he remembers died seventy-six years ago when he fell of that train. What's left now is just – damaged goods"
A minute or two passed before the Soldier go up from his seat. Walking toward the side of the jet, he found a medical box and came over to me. Tearing a piece of gauze, he bandaged it over my wound to try and help with the bleeding and infection "I can change and so can you" he said "Even if it's the last thing I do. I'm gonna make this right"
Half an hour passed before the ramp of the jet opened up. Stepping on board are a handful people. I've read all of their files. I know everything about them. Steve had redressed out of his captain uniform and into something more casual. Sitting back down at the main control chair, the others all looked toward me as the ramp closed and the engine of the jet began to rumble for take-off.
"Well, this is awkward" spoke Scott Land as he sat on the other side staring at me.
Falcon gave me a displeased look "No offence, but why are you here?"
Steve flicked a few switched on the control console "She's coming with us" he answered.
Falcon shook his head "You're joking right? I mean you're not seriously going to let her stay anywhere near us. She'll kill us the first chance she gets"
"She's a security threat, I know" replied Steve "But we can't trust anyone else. I can't let her fall back into the hands of Hydra"
The captain would have been right had it been sixty-three years ago, but the times and circumstances have all changed. The people who once trained and cared for me are long gone. Even if I completed my mission and managed to escaped, I wouldn't know where to go. As far as I'm concerned, I'm alone in the world. There's only one person alive who could even remotely link me back to my old life, but after what I've seen – I don't think the Soldiers the same person I remember.
"Hydra doesn't even know she exists" replied Flacon "She's a trained assassin who's been brainwashed her whole life. You should have left her on the Raft when you had the chance. At least there she can't hurt anyone. Maybe they could have helped her"
"Like they were going help Bucky?" retorted Steve with a cold tone. The captain sighed before the Quinjet went silent. It was a tense moment among the group.
My brows suddenly furrowed when I felt a warm tingle inside of my brain. It was small and faint, but I could still feel it. It was like a wave on subtle invasion, as if I weren't alone. It only took me a moment to realise who it was coming from before I turned to look at the enhanced. The brunette quickly looked away from me and the feeling stopped.
Bowing my head, I stared at the metal floor as we flew day and night. It was a long journey in relative silence. No one wanted to speak even though they all wanted to. It was mid-day as the sun shined down us. A light mist hovered on the air above the thick mass of jungle below us. We'd headed to somewhere remote. It was a smart idea.
"Where here" spoke Steve.
Landing the Quinjet on the instructed platform, the ramp lowered and the group began to walk down one by one. Steve came over to me and started to unbuckle me from the harness. Grabbing my arm with a firm grip, the Soldier stood by my other side as we walked down to stand out in the sun. We were instantly greeted by a familiar looking face.
"Welcome to Wakanda" spoke T'Challa.
"Thank you for giving us refuge you're Highness" replied Steve.
T'Challa gestured to a small escort team as they approached us "Please, my people will take her from here"
Two buff looking men stepped close before seizing my wrists and ankles with thick metal cuffs made out of Vibranium. Switching places with Steve and the Soldier, the guards led me away and into the modern looking building with large glass walled windows that viewed out to the jungle.
Passing down several halls, we ended up walking past several labs and scientists in their lab coats. This was no doubt a facility of some kind for their medical research; most likely bio-weaponry. Turning into a medium sized room, the walls are covered a sickly white and there's a single chair with built in restraints centred in the middle of the room; it faced a two way mirror.
Sitting me down on the chair, my feet were propped up on a metal plate below as I heard the solid click of the restraints as they wrapped around my ankles. Placing my arms on the arm rest either side of me, they too were cuffed into place. It didn't take the guards long to finish harnessing me in until was barely able to move. It felt eerily uncomfortable.
The guards left and I stared at my reflection through the two way mirror. Taking a quick glance around, I saw the few bits of technology; some of which I'd never seen before. Hydra never had things that looked like that "I hope your comfortable Katya" spoke T'Challa as the two way mirror faded to clear. I can see him now "I'm not here to harm you"
"The Soldier wants to fix me" I said. I remember the last time he tried to do that; when he strapped me into that machine and took it all away with a flick of a switch.
"Yes, he wants to help you. You've been brought to a safe place Katya. Away from the people who've caused you pain" replied T'Challa. Is he trying to tell me I'm free?
"Not yet" I replied "It'll never be safe, and there not all gone"
T'Challa nodded his head "James Barnes"
"My mission"