…The Disillusioned Of Winter…
/Warning/: This chapter contains, a little bit of violence, sadness and angst, nightmares, a little bit of fluff, and poor Steve and Bucky! All reviews are appreciated.
P.S: This is an Omegaverse story as in Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics; it also deals with the standard Winter Soldier's warnings, with that be careful and enjoy!
Chapter 2
Where was he?
He (It? They? She?) Looked from side to side, trying to recognize the place he was in; trying to survey the apartment (?) for any threats, marking the exits and entrance to the small nearly barren space the asset found itself in. Strangely, the asset didn't feel threatened at all being in such an exposed and foreign place for the first time, instead, the asset felt… Happy/Content/Safe/Home… which did nothing but make the asset unbalanced, for the asset should not feel, the asset should not have opinions, the asset…
Whatever the asset was going to think of next was cut by the sleepy voice coming from behind the asset. "B… What are yuh doin', sweetheart?" The low voice made the asset blink its eyes once more, wondering who was the person who managed to not only sneak up on the asset but managed to calm the asset racing thoughts which was… strange.
The asset's heart rate was elevating higher and higher when a happy smile stretched on its lips without the asset input, the asset body turned around against its will to the person who called it saying. "Nothin'~ just lookin' at de amazin' drawin' dat my husband did~" The teasing tone the asset used left him stunned in his place, wondering who was controlling its body as the asset looked through his lashes at the person standing before him. Husband? What does husband mean? Was it another word for 'Handler'? The asset remembered some of his handlers complaining about their husbands and wives and how controlling they were.
Alpha, blond hair, blue eyes, 5 feet 5 inches, slim build, too thin to be healthy, and has a familiar crooked nose now that the asset looked closer. The asset's eyes widen when it finally recognizes the Alpha in front of him. Handler Rogers… or he looked like Handler Rogers with the same facial structure and coloring; this was probably Handler Rogers from when he was nothing but a boy.
But why was the asset witnessing something like this? Why was he witnessing Handler Rogers when he was nothing but a Pup? The Original Protocol. The asset eyes widen uncontrollably at that, these were the leftover memories from The Original Protocol; the leftover memories the scientists couldn't purge from this body before the asset occupy it… The Original Protocol, this was The Original Protocol…
But why was The Original Protocol acting up now of all times? What Activate the Protocol? Was it because the asset hadn't been in 'The Chair' for a long time? The asset shivered at the mention of 'The Chair' feeling the hair on its body stand on its end, and for his breath to hitch… only this body did nothing but chuckle and lean back on the couch a happy smile on its face… could it be, could it be that the Original Protocol was initiated after coming in contact with Handler Rogers? The asset blinked at that, this was the most likely theory the asset could come up with.
"Hey, sweetheart…" Handler Rogers said, the smile on his face melted to show a displeased face underneath, the eyes that were azure blue darken as they took the asset in, informing the asset that it made a mistake and that it was going to be punished soon; the asset heart rate skyrocket, a shiver broke over its body as he let out a gasp of fear, nearly whining in terror when the handler took a step toward him. "Wake up." The words Handler Rogers said, left the asset confused wondering why his Handler will say something like this.
The asset blinked and this time terror sized the asset when he saw that he was sitting on 'The Chair' scientists fluttering around him like ants as they prepared everything. Tears gathered in the asset's eyes as he tried to break through the handcuff that hinders his mobility, his breath was irregular and his panic was increasing. No, no, no, no, no, no! Not 'The Chair' please, anything but that, please! The asset tried to plea, it tried to scream and shout and yell and beg; nothing came out of the asset's mouth, leaving the asset a shaking mess in his place.
The sound of footsteps coming near the asset made it raise its head; the asset's eyes widened when it saw Handler Rogers march toward it, a dark look on his face, informing the asset that it did something wrong. Handler Rogers rose both of his hands, causing the asset to flinch, thinking that Handler Rogers will either slap him hard like how Handler Peirce usually does, or punch him in the face like Handler Rumlow and many others before him.
Instead of doing what the asset expected; Handler Rogers's hands rested gently on the asset's cheeks, causing the asset to blink its eyes and gaze up at Handler Rogers's face. There was a frown on Handler Rogers's face, his azure blue eyes were miles and miles away like he was in deep thoughts, and Handler Rogers's hands started caressing the asset's cheeks, causing the asset to let out a confused noise as its eyes refuse to leave his handler's.
"Why do yuh look like him?" Handler Rogers finally spoke; his words were low and dark, ending with the asset's breath to pick up, wondering if his handler had enough of him. "Yuh have no right tuh look like him, no right…" Handler Rogers hissed his hands tightened around the asset's cheeks before relaxing a little, once again returning to their job of caressing the asset's face gently. "I am sawhry…" Hander Rogers whispered, letting go of him before turning around, walking away as he left the asset sitting in the chair.
The asset's breath hitched when he saw the scientists around him getting ready to power on the chair, making him shake and turn to Handler Rogers who was getting farther and farther away from him. "Please, please, please, no! I am sorry, please, Stevie! I am sorry, I am sorry, please! I will be good, I promise I will be good, I won't fight anymore!" Bucky cried out, fear and terror seizing him when asset heard the whine of the chair starting…
It was then that the screams started…
.
…
.
Steve… Steve was lost… it was three days since the Omega he rescued from freezing to death passed out after screaming and shrieking about not going back to 'Them' (And who were the 'Them' to begin with?) it was three days since Steve carried the Omega to his bed, clenching his fists tightly when he saw the reopened wounds and he blood seeping out. It was three days since the Omega passed out and stayed like that, ignoring the way that Steve's panic kept increasing with every second the Omega refused to wake and his temperature kept increasing faster than what's normal.
Steve didn't know what to do, he knew that the Omega before him was dangerous… the metal-armed assassin, and what happened to DC nearly a month ago was the talk of every person in the country; the metal arm was a dead giveaway in informing Steve about the person he saved… Steve knew he should have called the Avengers' hotline as soon as he found the assassin, giving the Omega to them and calling it a day, returning to his normal life of being a hermit who tried to ignore everyone and everything until his friends came knocking on his door to snatch him to the town to have 'Fun'.
Steve knew that he should have called someone after he treated the assassin's wounds, if not for his safety, then for the safety of the people living in the town and for the safety of his friends. The thing was… Steve couldn't do it… he couldn't do it, especially when the assassin was wearing a very familiar face that left Steve frozen in his place. A familiar face that made Steve shake in his place and for his mind to race with the possibility of why the ghost haunting him for years finally decided to visit him after a very long time.
"Why… why do you look like him?" Steve couldn't help but ask on the second night, his shaky hand caressing the assassin's cheek, wondering if he was finally losing his mind. "You have no right to look like him… no right…" Steve bite his lower lip, hoping the pain would bring him back to the present and not throw him in the far past. "I am sorry…" Steve ended up whispering, knowing that it was silly of him to blame someone for how they looked, it was so silly of him to blame a… Steve doesn't even know what the Omega in front of him was, all everyone knew was that the Omega was an assassin, a Hydra's agent, a bad person… Steve though, even knowing all of this, couldn't help but try to protect the Omega.
"…Stevie…" Steve's breath hitched when he heard that name, his head turning to the sleeping Omega so fast that it was a wonder how he didn't get whiplash from how fast he moved. Steve's eyes were wide, the shock was like cold freezing water being thrown at him, leaving him shivering in his place in disbelieve.
After that day, after that night, the Omega's temperature raised dangerously high; so high that the hallucination and screaming started. The pleas and cries of 'Stevie' and 'Please' and 'No' chipped at Steve's sanity, making him wonder if he was losing his mind or that he was the sick one in all of this.
At first, Steve dressed and redressed the Omega's wounds, giving him antibiotics fearing that one of the wounds the Omega has was infected. The Omega was getting worse and worse as the days passed, and Steve was thinking of taking him to the clinic in town, but he knew that as soon as he went to the town with the Omega on his back it wouldn't be an hour before the Avengers arrive to take the Omega away, throwing him in a prison to wait for his execution after extracting the information they wanted from him.
It left Steve with limited choices, either to treat the wounds himself, which hadn't been doing great ever since the Omega decided to attack him and reopened all of his wounds, or try to sneak the Omega into the clinic and hope for the best, which will get the police knocking on his door. Sighing, Steve cursed himself for getting too invested in the Omega's life for no reason but he looked like someone Steve knew from a long time ago.
Steve bit his lips hard, chewing on his bottom lip until it starts bleeding, the whimpers of distress reached his ears, causing him to huff and stand up from his perch near the Omega's bed. After making sure that the Omega was taking care of, Steve wore his jacket and cap and get out of the house, hoping that nothing bad was going to take a place in the next hour.
This was stupid, so, so, stupid. That was the only thing Steve thought to himself as he starts driving his truck, being grateful that the snowstorm had stopped yesterday, but grumbling all the while about how hard it was traveling in snow. This was stupid… Steve was stupid for helping the Omega, the Omega was stupid for attacking Steve and reopening his wounds, and the fates were stupid and cruel for throwing an Omega with a familiar face his way, making Steve's Alpha go into frenzy and shock.
Reaching the town was a matter of thirty minutes at most, something that normally would have taken fifteen to twenty minutes without the ice; thankfully though, Steve managed to reach the town without any accidents that would results in his death with how distracted he was. Finally, Steve reached the clinic after what looked like ages but was only three to five minutes; gazing at his watch, Steve let out a sigh of relief when he saw it was three minutes until closing time, which meant that Steve will manage to convince his friend to come with him and help.
"Steve? How are you, man? Come in, come in, the two of us are going out to drink that you finally left your hermit cave!" Sam laughed when he saw Steve entering his clinic, his cheerful personality causing a small smile to twitch on the Alpha's face before it smoother down and he had to look around, fearing that someone was listening to him.
"Sam… I need your help." Steve started after he made sure that no one was there; Steve strangled voice seemed to cause Sam to blink and turn around to gaze at Steve who was looking nervously at his hands.
"Is… is something wrong?" Sam asked, his hand going automatically to his pre-packed bag full of medicine and medical supplies; Sam was no wonder thinking that Steve was injured or that he did something he shouldn't, which was usually the latter rather than the former.
"I will explain in the car, please come, we don't have much time." Steve plead, his words seemed to snap Sam into his work mode as he nodded and took his bag, making sure the clinic was locked up before getting in the car with Steve, waiting for the explanation that Steve knew Sam won't like.
"Are you insane?!" Sam screamed when Steve was done explaining everything, the Beta's loud voice made Steve wince and try to lean back from the angry looked on Sam's face. "Do you have a death wish? You brought an assassin into your house! An assassin that everyone in the world is looking for, including the Avengers!" Sam ranted, glaring at Steve harder and harder the closer they reached to Steve's house. "Why would you do that? What if the Avengers came knocking on your door and arrest you? Then what? Everyone in the town would be next!" Sam complained as he huffed and puffed, his words causing Steve to sigh, especially when he knew that his friend was more worried than angry about Steve's crazy and dangerous adventure.
"I am sorry, Sam… but I couldn't hand him over… I just couldn't…" Steve whispered, his voice most have had a tone hidden in it because Sam turned to gaze at Steve with an unreadable look before pressing his lips into a tight line and sigh through his nose.
"What is he to you, Steve?" Sam asked in a soft voice, causing Steve to chew on his lower lip in deep thought; that was the same question that Steve had asked himself for weeks now, the same question that Steve still didn't find the answer for.
"He… he looks just like him, Sam… to the smallest detail…" Steve's breath hitched as he said those words, ignoring how Sam's eyes widen in shock at the admission. "I know this seems crazy and that a long time had passed since then… but when I saw the assassin… I couldn't help but see my…" Steve's voice vanished, thankfully the awkward silence between the two of them didn't last more than a minute or two before they finally reached the cabin.
"Fine… I get it… you owe me one for this." Sam grumbled when they reached the house, getting out of the car and walking to the door, waiting for Steve to catch up to him. It was a minute or two before the two of them were standing near the Omega's bed, Sam horrified look informed Steve of what he needed to know. "You should have called me earlier…" The accusing tone Sam used made Steve wince, his eyes automatically going to the Omega who was writhing on the bed in pain. "Steve, snap out of it! Go and boil some water and come help me." Sam snapped taking charge of the situation, causing Steve to blink his eyes and start moving…
Steve hoped he did the right thing…
A week passed since Steve brought Sam to his home, begging him silently to help the Omega that seemed stuck in some sort of terrifying nightmare. A week of the Omega not waking up even after Sam treated his wounds and fever; getting more and more shocked with how fast and unstable the Omega's metabolism was. The meds that Sam gave to the Omega didn't last an hour with the kind of metabolism the Omega had, that the Beta ended up breaking his 'Special' stash of medicine, and only then did the Omega became stable enough to heal.
The wounds closed roughly after three days, leaving both Steve and Sam speechless, considering that the only one with this kind of metabolism and fast healing was Steve. A week after Steve entrusted the Omega in his hands and now the only thing left for the two is waiting until the scary assassin wake up and kills both of them. If that happened Sam was so going to haunt Steve, chewing him more than he did after knowing that the Omega's state got worse after he attacked and tried to kill Steve.
Sam muttered to himself, grumbling about missing Riley and his cooking, he was sure that his nightly visits to Steve were making Riley all grumbly and hissy, especially when his husband was left to deal with their three-month-old daughter himself.
Reaching Steve's house, Sam jumped when the door thrust opened, and an angry-looking Steve came out of the house with a dark look on his face. "What the hell happened? Don't tell me you already offed my patient, Rogers?" Sam called out as he rushed the last few steps toward his angry friend who was huffing and puffing and trying to calm himself.
"No…" Steve said after managing to calm himself and lean on the door behind him, causing Sam to cross his arms and raise his eyebrow in a challenging pose. "He woke up this morning…" Steve said causing Sam's eyes to widen checking Steve up in fear of the assassin doing something to hurt Steve. "He didn't hurt me Sam… he just… ever since he woke up he was always 'Handler Rogers' this and 'Handler Rogers' that and 'Ready to Comply' and 'Your orders, Sir'… it is a lot…" Steve explained, making Sam furrow his eyebrows in deep thoughts, knowing how much Steve hates being the one giving the orders even when he was one of the elders of their town that everyone actually listens to and complies to his orders with a smile.
"Why… why is he calling you handler?" Sam decided to ask instead, knowing that his friend was no doubt having an existing crisis because of the Omega, even when Sam can see why the Omega decided to label his friend as a handler.
"God knows why…" Steve grimace as he invited Sam inside closing the door behind them. As soon as Sam went inside the house, he froze in his place when he saw the… Assassin/Soldier standing in front of him, glaring at Sam like he was a threat that needed to be removed immediately, which was making Sam shake a little in his place, wondering if he was going to be killed. "Let's move to the living room," Steve ordered, making Sam snap out of his staring contest with the Soldier when the Omega obeyed Steve, and as creepy as a thoughtless robot, the Soldier followed Steve without a word.
"I understood what you meant… creepy…" Sam mumble to Steve, his eyes not moving from the Soldier (Sam decided to call the Omega Soldier, it was better than Assassin or the stereotyping Omega) who was standing in front of them without a move, not taking a seat on the sofa unless Steve ordered him to sit down and even then the Soldier was fully alerted and ready to spring up if Steve decided to give him another order.
Steve grumbled something under his breath, his eyes not moving away from the Soldier, looking at the Soldier now, Sam couldn't help but tilt his head to the side; the Omega looked familiar somehow. "Can you talk to him? I can't think of anyone good enough to do that, especially someone with a medical degree. I tried to talk with him earlier but it was nothing but 'Yes, sir' and 'No, Sir'." Steve grumbled which made Sam choke on his saliva and turn to his friend like the blond just killed his dog.
"I am not that kind of doctor, Steve!" Sam gave a shriek, which made the Soldier stand up fast and nearly attacking if it wasn't for Steve ordering the Soldier to sit down once more, which the Soldier did, after glaring at Sam like he was ready to kill him. "Steve!" Sam plea with his best friend, hoping that the Alpha would let it go so that Sam would run away home and not come here. "No! Don't give me that look, don't you dare! Gah!" Sam moans in despair when once more, Steve's sad look like a puppy getting kicked got the better of him… to think an old man will manage to have such a lethal look, no wonder why everyone in the town does what Rogers order them. Sam turned his face to the Omega, swallowing when he felt the Omega's eyes stabbing him over and over, hoping that he would drop dead in his place, shakily Sam took a deep breath and cleared his throat, time to be a professional. "Hey man, my name is Sam. How are you? Fine? That's great! Uh… Could you, please explain to us why you think, uh, Steve here is your handler?" Sam asked, making Steve shift in his place as the Beta adopted his most professional Counselor Face he can think of. "It would be… easier for us to understand what you need, or want if you explain it to us; fewer chances of misunderstandings that way... Can you tell me what is Rogers to you?" Sam tried to smile as he said that and he was pretty sure he failed, especially when the Beta winced when the Soldier seized him up once more, his face making a movement that Sam was pretty sure the assassin just dismissed him as a threat, which would be insulting if it wasn't so depressingly true.
The Soldier blinks his eyes a few times, his eyes were narrow before they fell on Steve, the hope and adoration in them made Sam shift in his place and stop himself from turning around and just leave, feeling scared and stunned at the same time. "Handler Steven Grant Rogers. Former threat level 5. Former…" The Soldier's voice cuts off before he finished. He paused in confusion, and he turns those lost blue-grey puppy fucking eyes on Sam, and oh fucking hell, Sam really isn't equipped to deal with this, it was enough he had to deal with Rogers, not the scary assassin too.
"Good, yeah man, that's good. What were you going to say?" Sam asked as he tried to smile, hoping the Omega would manage to gather his thoughts when they give him enough time. Five minutes passed and the Soldier was still looking confused, so Sam decides to fuck the counselor manual and help him a bit. "Is Steve, uh, is Handler Rogers still a target?" Sam asked just to be sure the tale Steve told him about the Omega attacking him still replying in his mind, and if the Omega said yes, Sam was going to call the Avengers and screw Steve and his sympathetic heart.
"No," The Soldier frowned at Sam like the man was an idiot for suggesting such a thing, which was would have been rude if the Soldier didn't attack Steve before. "Not a target. Former target." The Soldier stated before looking at Steve again; former… as if that was going to make Sam feel any good. "Former target; from before. First handler; from before. The creator of The Original Protocol." The Soldier repeated, and shit, Sam's never been a prodigy at languages, but even he knew the cryptic language the Soldier was speaking in meant no good.
"So you think that Steve is your handler because you know him from before? Before what? And what is the Original Protocol?" Sam asked, already feeling himself going to regret the answer, but Sam was not going to back away, not after he managed to land himself solid information. The Soldier's eyes started nervously flitting between Steve and him, and Sam really, really doesn't want to spook or provoke him; before Sam decided to ask another question the Soldier's answer left everyone in the room frozen.
"The Original Protocol: The Memories of the original owner of this body; Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes." Came the answer that left everyone frozen, Sam couldn't help but give Steve a fleeting glance, only to wince at the blank and emotionless face his friend donning. "There were memories, instincts, and orders. A man wearing my face, and a man with Handler Rogers's face was laughing at the Asset. An Asset has no face, no name, no opinions," The Soldier states, and fuck everyone and their moral compass because Sam has a feeling that he will be joining Steve at hunting and killing some HYDRA ass with extreme prejudice after this. "He was there, with the Asset. Handler Rogers initiated The Original Protocol after treating the Asset. Protocol: Protect Steven Grant Rogers. Conclusion: he was the first handler." The Soldier concluded, and Sam really wants to be anywhere but here and now, but he knows he has to ask, he has to keep level-headed because God knows that Steve can't after hearing this.
"Are you the asset?" The Soldier looked at Sam like he's an idiot with an IQ of zero and Sam would laugh if he weren't scared and fucking sad. The asset nodded his head then, causing Sam to let out a shaky sigh; Sam knew he needed to summarize all this quickly, so they're all on the same page before something (Steve) explodes and go hunt what's left of Hydra and tear them to shreds which would be a very bad thing to Steve and the town. "So, you saw Handler Rogers in your memories… with yourself, or the, uh, asset, and you concluded he was your handler." Sam gritted out, and the Beta wanted to throw up the moment the Soldier nods. Fuck HYDRA; fuck everything, god-fucking-dammit. Sam couldn't help but a curse, wondering what was going to happen now; this was bad, more than bad… and it only got worse when The Soldier opened his mouth once more
"When the Asset obeys the mission parameters and protocols, there is no Chair." The Soldier said calmly and apparently, that's the straw that broke the remaining tatters of Steve's self-control, which Sam knew how hard the man was trying to hold into.
"Enough!" Steve yelled, causing both Sam and The Soldier to jump; Steve's breathing was too close to hyperventilation for Sam's comfort. His eyes are wild, the blue surrounded by red, which nothing but make Sam tensed. Steve's body is wracked by irregular tremors, and Sam's got no idea how to calm him, nor if it's actually possible to calm him at all after the bombs the Soldier throws his way.
Steve turned around and left the room in a hurry, leaving both the Soldier and Sam alone; Sam would have given Steve an earful about leaving his best friend near an international assassin fully capable of killing Sam 234 ways with his pinky alone. But Sam was too sad to say anything but sigh. "You stay here I need to check you for injuries after finishing my talk with… Handler Rogers…" Sam said, feeling a bitter taste in his mouth that increased with the nod The Soldier gave.
After this Sam is tired of everything. Of not understanding at all, of understanding too well, of the emotional toll this whole thing is having on him. He wondered what Steve was going to do now, that the person he thought dead for many years just showed up at his doorstep half-ways to death, and broken beyond repair with no memories of the past but few.
Sam turned around and start walking, trying to find where Steve had run to after this mess; getting out of the cabin, Sam let out a tired sigh when he spotted Steve standing near the frozen lake farther away from his cabin. Sam sighed once more and start walking through the snow toward the lake, a journey of a few seconds took him two full minutes to complete because of the snow and the harsh winds. Sam was thankful for the freezing wind and the sharp and clean smell of ice, the Beta needs a moment to gather his wits and to make sure he doesn't just start screaming into the air. His body is not used to circulating this much adrenaline and endorphins regularly unless it was the full moon; Sam feels drained, but he can't rely on Steve to be the only alert one in this situation. It's not fair, first of all, and second of all, if the Omega in Steve's home turned out to be the Omega that should have died more than seventy years ago, Sam knew Steve was going to lose it to his feral nature. Sam got to pull his own weight, because whatever happens next, Steve probably won't be able to pull his.
Unless he went on a hunt and murdered every last one of Hydra's bastards, in which case, Sam would probably go with him to avenge his cause. If Steve doesn't crash and burn more terribly than DC did, Sam was sure they may even be able to join the Avengers after eliminating Hydra alone.
Sam snorted at the thought and can't hold his hysteria in anymore. The laughter bubbles out of him in uneven, sharp gasps, and he stops where he stands and leans against Steve and he laughs so much that tears cloud his vision completely and start falling down his cheeks, and the only thing he can see is a blur of blond that's Steve's hair.
"I'm sorry…" Sam said after a minute or two, wiping the remainder of his tears from his wet cheeks. "All of this hits a bit too close to home, with the whole, uh, Riley situation," Sam offers a confession of his own, which only gained him a nod from Steve; the Alpha knew how much of a nerve wreck Sam was after Riley went MIA in Khalid Kandil mission, only to be found three months later tortured brutally and nearly kissing death's feet. "So," Sam started but then doesn't know what to ask first. Does he ask about Steve and how he was feeling? Or about James Buchanan Barnes? About the Soldier? About how he died? About the fucking meaning of life? Things are too fucked up on too many levels, and he's emotionally compromised and drained, and he has no idea what to think.
Steve stands before him with his back to the house. His face is impassive, and beautifully framed with his dark blond curls that are all over the place with how much Steve ran his hand through his hair; Sam can't look at him for too long, right now, Steve was making him nervous for some reason, so Sam let his eyes wander around the place, gazing at the frozen trees, the lake, the snow-covered ground.
"If it were Riley…" Sam tried to say, tried to explain, but his voice break. He clears his throat before trying again but the words don't come. Steve gave a shuddered breath and nodded his head, his fists clenching tightly as he lost himself in deep thoughts.
"I know…" Steve said softly, and that's enough. The woods behind them are divided of any sounds that usually dominated the silence, but Sam only hears their breathing, combining and evening out in tandem. The world is peaceful in this moment of mutual understanding, and he clutches at it, willing it to last for just a bit more before they got to deal with supposedly dead mates turned to brainwashed super-soldiers who became international assassins and spies.
… This sucks…
The asset sat straight as it waited for its evaluation to be finished. Doctor Sam Wilson was a strange doctor; he didn't strap the asset down, not give it many injections to see what reaction the asset was going to have to the poison. The strange doctor just smiled at the asset as he checked its body, frowning at the mass of scares and tissues that was the asset's left arm, before turning around to continue his examination.
The asset does not know what to do when it didn't see Handler Rogers around; making the asset's heart rate increase at the thought of him failing to protect Handler Rogers now the Alpha was out of its sight. The asset had wanted to leave Dr. Wilson and go search for its Handler, but the fear of this being a test that the asset was going to fail if he disobeyed made the asset freeze in its place as it waited for the Dr. to give it the green light to start his mission.
"How is he?" Handler Rogers's voice came behind the asset, made the asset relax, not realizing how tense the asset was until he finally let loose and the fear left the asset. Good, the asset did not disobey Handler Rogers and Dr. Wilson, the evaluation tests would show Handler Rogers that the asset was of use, and the asset did not try to fight so it meant the asset won't be force into the chair. Status: Functional Up To 89%. The only thing left for the asset to healing completely was its leg, and even then the asset can still perform up to 93% capacity if it strained itself.
"He is fine, he is… a fast healer…. It's almost as if he was… you know," Dr. Wilson made a strange movement with his face and hands causing the asset to frown, wondering if this movement meant the asset did something wrong and was to be punished. "Anyways, he is completely healed, the only thing left is his leg, and even then I would give it a day or two before that to heal… what I am concern about is the arm, Steve; I don't even know how to proceed with it in place, int metal obviously damaging his skin and muscle, causing inflammation but his fast healing helped to some extend… that is until he uses his arm and the muscle is ripped once more; no treatment I did the past week helped the inflammation, the swollenness, and redness to go down… If this continued I will have to call Shuri, and try to find a way to treat him, maybe even take the metal arm off." Dr. Wilson said his words causing the asset to freeze in place, the terror of being compromised and not functional to be of use to its new Handler made fear took hold of the asset's heart; it only got worse when the asset thought about his only reliable weapon (The arm) being taking off.
Not one doctor even cares about the asset wounds, the only reason for doctors to get near the metal arm is for maintaining it, the asset's infected wounds do not matter… Dr. Wilson's words just sealed the asset's fate of being outdated and useless, which would result in the asset being put down for failing his mission and protocol. "…Is there any way to lessen the discomfort until Shuri gets in contact with us?" Handler Rogers asked, causing the asset to raise its head, hope to bloom in its chest at the thought of still being useful that Handler Rogers won't risk putting it down.
The asset masked its emotions though, if Handler Rogers or Dr. Wilson caught on to what the asset was feeling, they may put it in the chair for being emotionally compromised. "I can give you a strong antibiotic ointment, and even then I don't know if it would work or not. Hopefully, his metabolism and healing would catch up, and help; just keep the wounds clean and dry, and bandage them after applying the ointment." Dr. Wilson stated after he stood up, rumbling through the bag he brought out before giving it to Handler Rogers. "Just make sure he doesn't strain the arm too much, hopefully, Shuri would know what to do once she is here." Dr. Wilson continued as he walked toward the front door, Handler Rogers walking with him as the two talked in hush voices that even the asset was having a hard time picking up their words.
The asset stayed in its place, not daring to move a muscle lest his Handler became angry and start beating him, or worse send it to the chair. The asset waited until Handler Rogers came into the living room, and even then, Handler Rogers just kept staring at the asset with blank eyes; making the asset's skin crawl as it waiting to see what his Handler was going to do. "So… you are James Barnes…" Handler Rogers asked, making the asset blink its eyes at such a question… the asset was the asset, he was not James Buchannan Barnes, he was only a… program? A… an asset?
Then why are you scared all the time? A voice whispered inside the asset, but the asset didn't care about it, his attention was on Handler Rogers who was gazing at the asset with a strange look and shiny eyes. "The asset is the asset; a weapon, object, a gun. The asset has no name, no face; no opinion. The…" The asset closed its mouth when Handler Rogers raised his hand to silence it, making the asset tense in fear that it did something wrong.
"I see… you are not him then…at least yet..." Handler Rogers stated, turning his face away from the asset, which made the asset's heart rate raise and his breathing hitched, but through all of that the asset stayed still, the asset was good, he will not disrespect Handler Rogers by showing emotions. "OK… things are going to change now… first of all, I don't want you to say you are a weapon anymore… I don't even want you to think about it. You are a human, a person, a man, and an Omega. Not a weapon, not a gun, not an object. Are we clear?" Handler Rogers said, making the asset tilt its head in confusion.
He wasn't… a weapon? But that order goes against every other protocol and parameter that the asset was taught, how was the asset going to function like that? The Original Protocol… the asset's eyes widen at that a little; that was right! The Original Protocol: Protect And Obey Steven Grant Rogers. The primary and most important protocol that had the authority to purge any other inferior protocol, which is going to give Handler Rogers the ultimate power to define the asset and rebuild him as he wanted. "Is that an order?" The asset asked, waiting for Handler Rogers to answer it, when Handler Rogers didn't answer but bite its lower lip, the asset blink in confusion. "The Asset cannot proceed if there are no orders; it needs an order to function and follow mission parameters and Protocols." The asset continued, waiting for what its handler was going to do and hoping to avoid any punishment for speaking without permission."
"Oh God… you… you refer to yourself as 'It'?" Handler Rogers's voice cracked when the asset nodded, his hand going to his mouth to stop the sob that left him. "Goddammit, I will kill and destroy them all!" Handler Rogers snarled, which made the asset suppressed a flinch that wanted to get out; the room after that was filled with awkward silence as Handler Rogers tried to control his breathing. "You are a 'He/him' always had been and always complain when someone said otherwise." Handler Rogers stated after a while of silence, his words making the asset blink in wonder, since when did the asset complain about what other people call it? "You… you have opinions, of course you do have a face, and your name… your name is… I… I can't even say it…" Handler Rogers gave an empty laugh, gazing around the place before his eyes fell on the window with a sad look. "Your name is Winter…" Handler Rogers ended up saying.
"…Are these my orders?" The asset asked hands clenching tightly into fists as he waited for his Handler's next reaction… they were many overwhelming orders, ones that even go against decades of perfect protocols and programming. The asset does not have a name (Your name is Winter) the asset does not have opinions (You have opinions) the asset does not have a face (Of course you do have a face) the asset is a weapon, an object, a gun (You are a human, a person, a man, and an Omega. Not a weapon, not a gun, not an object) The asset is the asset (You are a He/Him) so many contradicting orders that the asset was going to reevaluate his older protocols and try to delete them in favor of the Original and Primary Protocol.
Handler Rogers seemed to be letting out a shuddering breath before turning to the asset with a tired look, making the asset feel like he did something wrong. "…Yes, they are." Handler Rogers stated before turning, leaving the asset in the living room as Handler Rogers left the cabin. The asset waited in the living room for his handler to come back, reevaluating and deleting every protocol that opposes his Handler orders; that night the asset's handler didn't come back home no matter how much the asset waited for him in the living room…
The winds outside were accompanied by the sound of howling wolves.
So what do you think?
Poor Bucky, poor Steve, poor Sam!
And yes, Riley is alive in this, because this is a canon divergence and an AU of its own.
Hmmm, I think I botched this chapter somehow I don't know, it was supposed to be at least 10k but after writing and rewriting it three times, I decided that 6.5k is my limit and this was the best cliffhanger I could give T^T
Read and Review
And tell me what you think…
Nazaki-Sama