Chapter 17: Hydra Facility Astana - Kazakhstan
Unable to move, Inessa watched the man with the metal arm struggle as they dragged him into the room. "Put him over there," Dennisson's voice sent shivers down her spine. A chair was wheeled in behind him, and the technicians operating it rolled it around to the indicated corner. Bucky was dumped into the chair, shackled, and a strong magnet activated- he was pinned down by his metal arm. If all other restraints failed, that one would keep him in place.
Dennisson walked over to the corner where shackles hung from the ceiling. He stood on tip-toes and closed one around his hand. The guards who had strong-armed Bucky into the room came over to help him bind his other wrist. Once Dennisson was chained and the electric panels had been secured around Bucky's face the technicians left under the escort of the guards.
Inessa felt her muscles unlock and she casually picked up the remote from the table- the one that would wipe Bucky, turn him back into the Winter Soldier. She twirled it between her fingers and eyed the two. "Make your case, gentlemen," Doctor Pryor put a hand on Inessa's shoulder, but was she comforting the girl, or holding her in place?
"What did I ever do but flap my lips?" Dennisson's voice was unnaturally calm and collected, a caricature of the dead man. "I just told him to turn you- how many other ways could it have been done? We could have simply invited you to join, used our rhetoric to seduce you. But we didn't. We dragged you off the street, then he tortured you. Tell me, did I ever so much as lift my hand against you? What my guards did- was I ever present during those occasions? You've always assumed it was me who gave them permission, but was it really? I never wanted you to be a part of Hydra, we both know that. They wouldn't look away, I knew if I didn't take control, someone else would. Then what? They'd never risk burning you out the way they did Bucky, you could lose your abilities. But they have other ways- ways you can't say no to. I didn't do anything. I tried to help you die, when you couldn't even gain purchase in this world, I tried to help you die. I ordered you brought for termination, they stopped me from saving you from all that pain."
"And you?" Doctor Pryor gently turned Inessa. The panels were already covering most of Bucky's face, but the power hadn't been activated yet. Still, he was terrified, "What is your defense?"
"I- I didn't know what I was doing-"
"-you didn't?" Doctor Pryor turned Inessa to face the opposite end of the room. The wall dissolved, and it was like watching a movie. Inessa was in the same chains that bound Dennisson now, hanging unprotected. The usual thin gray cloth pants Hydra had forced all prisoners to wear were only knee-length. Bucky was sitting on a stool, holding one of her legs just under the knee. With his other hand, he carefully and meticulously flayed the skin away from the muscle. There didn't need to be any sound with the video- Inessa remembered. "You look very sure of your actions."
"I didn't know what I was doing," Bucky closed his eyes and whispered, "I didn't know what I was doing."
"Choose, Inessa," Doctor Pryor spun her back towards the two men, "one you free. One you don't. Free the man who did less harm- and destroy the one who tried to control you. Dennisson gave the order to turn you, the Winter Soldier decided how that should be done. Neither can be called 'innocent' in any of this, but who had the better intentions?"
Inessa considered Doctor Pryor's words carefully, flipped the remote once in the air, and hit the button. Bucky began to scream, she smelled cooking flesh as the electricity burned through his skull, and Doctor Pryor just smiled, "Good girl."
Avengers Tower
Inessa sat up with a gasp. She was cold, but sweat covered her entire body. She couldn't stop shaking- and the smell of charred flesh was one she couldn't get out of her head. There was a rapid throbbing in her head- just like the headaches she always left Pryor's office with.
It wasn't even two in the morning, and Inessa knew she wouldn't be able to sleep for the rest of the night. Again. Ever since she started with that woman she hadn't slept more than four hours in a row. Her dreams always followed the same pattern- confronted with any one of a dozen different scenarios, she always killed an Avenger. Pryor meant to turn her against her friends- Inessa just wished she knew how the doctor was getting into her head, and how to stop it.
Steve and the others knew nothing about it, of course. It would be a distraction they'd all leap on, but they couldn't. A SHIELD consultant with a hidden agenda? They'd probably find some way to convince themselves it had nothing to do with Natasha's mystery video- or Berny Barton, who the others knew nothing about. Did Bucky know? He'd only visited the doctor twice before she told Steve she wouldn't need to see him again. What sort of seeds had she planted in his head? Had he let her?
One thing was certain- the treatment was helping Inessa, just not in the way they all thought. The doctor was playing at something, and while she still didn't have the whole picture, she was still happy to play along and gather pieces to fit into the puzzle. Getting some real sleep wouldn't be unappreciated though.
The Tower was Inessa's haunt during these sleepless nights. She'd found nearly all of Clint's handholds in the lower rooms- half-empty shelves, reinforced picture frames, conveniently placed air vents- Tony left a veritable jungle gym in the lobby. It took some trial and error, but Inessa managed to follow the path left up into the rafters.
Natasha dropped from the rafters, landing lightly on the floor. The Shadow was curious about these humans who broke it's link with the Winter Soldier. It lept upward as Clint followed Nat down, nearly touched him. He felt it move past him, his sense of it stronger than ever. As he fell, he spun, tipped upward to watch the darkness. She peered from it, allowed him to see her, if only to determine what these creatures would respond with. He was terrified of the inhuman face that stared back at him. The Shadow pulled back from sight, hid itself just barely inside their world.
Inessa hadn't remembered that day in a long time- though in all fairness she hadn't exactly looked for the memory either. Clint, for all his gifts, was the most human of the lot. She'd had a sense he might be a friend. No matter what Pryor tried to pour into her mind, Inessa remembered that. The Avengers were not people she'd trusted blindly- not until she looked into their minds. The implant on her neck was something she'd sought- she just didn't think they'd use it against her.
If one of them offered though, would I have it removed? She was torn- on the one hand, fuck yes, other the other hand, she understood precisely why they'd tricked her. It wasn't "Putting a leash on the dog", as Doctor Pryor wanted her to believe, it was grounding the teenager.
How many people are being tortured right now, all because I let Mallory see me? Guilt and shame now. Whenever she tried to understand the others' minds, this happened- she was reminded keenly of her mission to protect Hydra's other prisoners. Pryor was something- but what? Psychic? Mind reader? Could she send dreams or whisper into your subconscious? She didn't know Inessa was far from her control- at least in that she'd never turn on the Avengers. Still, between the dreams and the small push on her mind, Inessa was frustrated. Being up in the rafters brought back flashes of memory- memories much more pleasant than the ones she'd been trying to forget. Memories of being something untouchable, feared even.
Inessa dropped from the rafters and went to stand before the door without even realizing her intent. She just stood there, staring at it. I miss being outside, the balcony was nice, but it wasn't enough. She grew up in a concrete jungle too, but since she'd seen Clint's farm being trapped inside so much made her miss even the rare city park- enough to brave being around all the people. She didn't have the courage to leave though. Maybe.
Bucky watched from he shadows of the stairwell as she hesitated. He couldn't sleep- not since he'd woken from a dream of her killing him with the electroshock machine. She stood in front of the door for at least fifteen minutes, then finally grabbed the handle and tried it- unlocked. Inessa was always free to leave, she just never had the courage to try, at least not before tonight. As soon as the door closed behind her, JARVIS' voice chimed softly in the stairwell, "Deploying remote Suit to guard Miss Inessa."
"Don't bother," Bucky stood up and descended the rest of the way, "it'll attract every curious eye in the city. I'll keep an eye on her."
"Yes, Mister Barnes. Have a good evening." Bucky double checked to make sure his long-sleeve shirt covered his metal arm at the shoulder plate, then slipped on a pair of shoes, grabbed another for Inessa, and quickly departed.
Inessa was standing at the edge of the private entrance to Avengers Tower, just inside the threshold. She heard Bucky walking down the steps and tried to force herself through the doorway, but again, an invisible barrier stopped this act of defiance. If she got out before he hit the third floor, she had a chance of vanishing- not much of one, but she was optimistic. All she knew was that she didn't want to go back up there until she'd had a taste of freedom.
"You won't get far without these," Bucky reached around and dropped the shoes in front of her, "put them on quickly, we've only got a few hours to explore before you've got to be back to get ready for your appointment with Pryor."
She looked down at the shoes for a while before slipping them on. The invisible barrier was gone, now that she had someone with her- someone both familiar and alien. A friend and an enemy. "Thank you," she had a passable whisper now, clear and easy enough to understand.
"I grew up in this city, it hasn't changed much in seventy years," Bucky let her lead the way into the Tower parking lot and pointed to the barbed gate that separated them from the streets. Inessa went to open it, "Anything in particular you wanted to see?"
"Just walk." she stuck her head through a crack in the gate and eyed the sidewalk. There were a couple dozen fangirls dressed as different Avengers sleeping against the wall. Steve had explained the first time they mobbed the car on the way to Inessa's first appointment with Pryor- whenever the lights of Avengers Tower came on and anyone got word an actual Avenger was there, the fans appeared. There were always a handful, but their numbers multiplied the more floors that were lit. No one knew who was on which level, so everyone's fans turned out.
A couple of the girls jumped to their feet, excited, but Bucky just held up his (right) hand, "Night janitors, sorry girls."
"Wait, so you, like, clean for the Avengers? How cool is that!" one was way too excited.
"Nope, Mister Stark likes the stairs kept clean, in case anyone needs them. Sweep and mop, every night. Orders come from the computer-ie dude."
The girl rolled her eyes, "You mean JARVIS? That's only Tony Stark's best friend. You should be more respectful."
"I'll keep that in mind, ma'am," Bucky was speaking with Clint's slightly country accent, he was just glad the girls were buying it.
"What's up with her?" one of them (dressed in a flannel Iron Man suit) pointed at Inessa who was staring at the ground, "Why's she in pajama pants?"
"Cleaning pants, jeans get uncomfortable when you're working on stairs," Bucky waved and pushed Inessa through the crowd, "have a nice night, Ladies." There were a few mumbles behind them, but no one stopped the pair. Both of their faces had been on television newscasts about the Hydra invasion- luckily Bucky's was mostly covered by loose hair and blood in every shot and Inessa had wrapped herself in so many shadows no one would possibly recognize her. Otherwise leaving would have been tricky. "I should have been an actor," Bucky sighed as they crossed the street. He took his hand off Inessa's shoulder and stepped back, "Your choice- I can stay right by you, or I can be sneaky and you'll never see me playing bodyguard."
Inessa waved him over- her courage was broken by the two curious girls who suddenly blocked their way at the gate.
"You set the pace and direction, I'll just follow along." In a way it reminded him of when he was back in high school and his mother would make him escort one of his sisters to some function or another. The familiarity was calming after that too-vivid dream. Inessa chose a street that would lead them south and began to walk- unaware they were being watched.
"I'm impressed," Morris smiled at Doctor Pryor, "you are worth every penny."
"My parents raised me to always exceed expectations. It's lucky she ever left at all. I didn't think my little nudges were working." They sat in her office, watching security footage from a store across from the Tower.
"Let us see just how much of that luck is in the cards tonight," he opened his phone and dialed one of the humans he had lying in wait- a girl dressed in Iron Man pajamas, "follow them until they angle back towards the Tower, then take them down."
"Yes, sir," she flashed a thumbs-up at the security camera, signaled two young men in the group pretending to sleep, and went after Bucky and Inessa.
"What are you hoping to achieve with this?" Pryor was interested.
Morris indicated the three as they passed out of frame, "I'm planning on none of them surviving the night."
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