The first thing that Danny notices when he comes back to consciousness is the sound of a machine beeping. The second thing is the smell of cleaning chemicals, making his nose wrinkle in disgust. He hurts everywhere, but he couldn't deny the cool warmth surrounding him. He just wants to go back to sleep. To avoid the pain that he knows is coming any minute now. The pain that has happened every day since he's been captured.
It takes Danny a moment to realize that he's lying in a semi-upright position in a comfortable bed. Shock filters through his battered brain and he slowly opens up his eyes in the dimly lit room. It doesn't look like any room that he's been placed in before. If he's being honest, it kind of reminds him of a hospital room, but that's not possible. His kidnappers would never let that happen.
Continuing his inspection of the room, Danny notices a large window with shades pulled down to dim the bright light trying to come through. It almost looks like sunlight, but it could also be a trick.
Danny slowly removes the blanket covering him, wincing from the pain that shoots through his body as he does so, and notices the IV in his arm taped down so that it doesn't move. He can only imagine what these people are pumping into him this time, but he's learned it's best not to fight it if he doesn't want a beating later.
Hopefully it doesn't make him sick this time.
Danny is weak from the lack of human food and ectoplasm. While he doesn't really need to eat that much anymore, he still needs a good amount of ectoplasm to survive. Hydra wanted to see how long he could last without either, and now it's taking everything he has not to completely collapse. It doesn't help that he had put so much of his energy into his ghostly wail before he passed out.
Slowly, he positions himself on the edge of the bed. The IV bag is connected to a pole that he grabs with weak hands so he has something to help hold himself up. He isn't the steadiest, but hey, he's standing.
With a deep breath, Danny moves towards the only window in the room trying not to die again. He's too focused on trying to put one foot in front of the other to look around. He's not even sure how much further it is to the window.
Honestly, Danny's surprised a scientist or guard hasn't come in by now. This has to be another trick on their part. Something else to force him into obedience or get him another beating. He shudders at the reminder, almost losing his grip on the pole.
He's nearly to the window when the pole wheels catch on something, tripping Danny up. He loses his grip on the pole and cries out as he falls. He's too weak and too hurt to be able to get up and now he'll never feel the sun on his face. If that's even what the light was.
Tears don't come as Danny lies on the tiled floor in despair. Hydra made sure to beat those out of him long ago. No, he simply stares at the wall that he's fallen next to, hoping that he isn't punished for getting out of the bed they put him in. He holds onto that hope as he hears the door open and footsteps rush towards him.
Voices swirl around him, but he's disassociating and can't understand them. Danny remains limp as someone picks him up and gently places him back on the bed. More voices sound, but they slowly stop when he doesn't respond. He doesn't look at them. Doesn't acknowledge them in any way as he stares at the wall.
Just that little bit of activity has exhausted him, and he doesn't hesitate to fall back into the comforting darkness of sleep.
Murmurs coax Danny out of his sleep. Murmurs that sound unfortunately close to him. Like, right next to him close.
He tries not to stiffen up, to stay as relaxed as possible but the machine next to him gives away the rapid beating of his heart. The flurry of activity surrounding him makes him afraid of what is going to happen next. Nothing good ever happens when there are this many people around him.
The strangers try to talk to him. To get him to say anything. A few even try to get him to open his eyes, but when he remains still, the voices slowly dwindle until there is only the steady beeping of the machine.
Danny can feel the IV taped to his skin. Can feel the way the gown shifts across his many wounds that stopped healing a long time ago. He can feel the thin blanket draped across him as he adjusts to find some kind of comfortable position (no position is comfortable).
Danny slowly opens his eyes, blinking his eyes rapidly at the bright light. He closes them and tries again after a few moments, letting himself adjust to his surroundings.
It appears to be the same room as the one he woke up in last time. With its white walls and large window with the shades closed, though this time there's no light coming through the shades. Danny doesn't see any cameras in the room, but it's best not to test the limits of his freedom.
It's best not to catch their ire.
So, Danny lays in bed waiting for whatever terrible things the scientists have in store for him today. Maybe, hopefully, if he does whatever they want without complaint, they'll start to feed him again. He doesn't even know how many weeks it's been since he's had anything to eat.
Voices outside the door catch Danny's attention. They must be right outside the door because he can hear them clearly. Though, it's not like they've ever tried to keep their voices down around him before. He's just an object to them anyway.
"-doing?" a male voice asks.
"He woke up a few hours ago, but won't respond to anyone. He flinches away when we touch him, but otherwise doesn't object. He wouldn't even open his eyes to look at us. He's been through a lot, Tony. It's going to be a long time before he's ready to pretend to be human again. Be patient with him. If you upset him, I'll have no problem kicking you out." a stern female voice replies.
There's a small laugh but it doesn't sound happy to Danny. "Doc, I've been through all the files. That kid was an experiment to them. Bucky was more of a person to them than that kid was. They did things to him that I'm not sure even a Super Soldier would survive. I sent over the files but to tell you the truth…from what the files say, I don't think that kid is alive. If he is then he's made of tougher stuff than all the Avengers combined." Tony (Danny thinks it's this Tony person the doctor is talking to) says.
Danny hopes they aren't talking about him, but he sincerely doubts it. They're outside his door, after all.
The door starts to open and Danny panics. He doesn't want to know what they'll do to him. Doesn't want the pain to start again, but knows if he doesn't let it happen, it'll only be worse in the end. The machine next to him goes haywire as his heart picks up its pace again.
A stern Asian woman in a white lab coat rushes over to his side, checking the machine and silencing the alarm. Danny takes no notice of her, but he does watch as a shorter man in jeans and a t-shirt comes trailing in behind her. He doesn't look like a scientist and maybe he isn't. Maybe he's the person in charge of the scientists. The person that the scientists always talk about.
"Hey. Can you tell me your name?" the stern woman says with concern and it draws Danny's attention. Sometimes, they pretended to be nice.
Danny wants to tell her, but at the same time, he doesn't. His throat aches from the ghostly wail that he hasn't used in some time. He isn't sure when the last time he spoke was. He's not allowed to speak unless ordered. Like the lady wants him to do now, but his throat hurts.
He opens his mouth and…nothing. Trying to talk just causes him to cough. Danny starts to panic, because he knows that punishment comes when he doesn't do what they want.
"It's okay. You don't have to say anything right now. I'll get you some water and we can try again later. Right now I just want you to rest." The doctor looks concerned with her soft oval face and the wisps of brown hair that have fallen out of her bun but that's probably because he's broken.
A broken asset is a useless one.
Danny watches the doctor give the man a stern glance as she leaves. The man is staring at him and it's making Danny nervous. He doesn't know what the guy wants. He wishes the man would give him an order. Say something. Do something. Just…
"Hey kid," the man finally says. His voice is concerned and his body language screams awkwardness as he rubs the back of his neck. "Listen. I know you've been through a lot, but the people here are good people. You won't have to deal with anything like what those Hydra goons did."
The man walks a little closer to Danny's bed. He doesn't seem at all concerned that Danny hasn't said a word to him, he just continues to talk.
"We'll get you all fixed up and then when the Doc okays it, you can live on the compound with me and the rest of the team. How's that sound?" The man's eyes soften from that intense stare to something sadder and his smile disappears when Danny doesn't give a response.
Not answering a question usually gets him a punishment, but the lady told him not to say anything. Is this man in charge or the lady? Who is he supposed to obey? Danny opens up his mouth to try and say something, anything, so the man won't get angry with him, but nothing will come out. Just a wisp of air and a cough.
The cough hurts his throat and he tries to swallow the dryness away but it's no use. Thankfully, that doctor comes back. Unfortunately, she comes back with a whole tray of items and it scares him. Danny doesn't show it, though. He just watches with a blank expression.
"Tony, I told you not to upset him. This is the exact opposite of that," the doctor says, glaring at Tony as she puts the tray down on a rolling table near the window.
Tony takes a few steps back, giving the doctor space to roll the entire table over to the bed. "I'm offended, Cho. I didn't do anything. You can even ask Friday. I'm being a good boy. All I did was say that once he heals up enough and you give the okay, he'll be moving into the compound with the rest of us."
Danny watches the back and forth happening between the two people trying to figure out the dynamics. They talk to each other like equals, making this situation a bit more confusing to Danny.
Doctor Cho grabs a white styrofoam cup and hands it to Danny gently. He takes the cup and looks inside, finding it filled with little chips of ice. "You are severely malnourished, so no real solids or liquids right now until we can get your body used to nutrients again. You can munch on ice for now to help with your throat, but do it slowly so you don't overwhelm your body." Danny gives a nod to the doctor and immediately puts a few pieces in his mouth letting the ice melt to help ease his throat.
The doctor gives Danny a nod and a smile. "That's good. If you need more ice, just press this button here," She grabs a remote from beside the bed and hands it to him, pointing out one of the buttons.
"I need to take a look at your bandages and change some of them. Is it okay if I touch you?" the doctor asks, as if Danny has any real choice. He has no idea what their plan is, but it's best to just go along with it until someone gives him a direct order or his handler comes in to get him.
He looks between Tony and the doctor before giving a small nod. The doctor turns to the table again, putting on some gloves before grabbing a few things. Danny doesn't want to see what this lady is about to do to him, so he watches Tony instead. Watches the way Tony messes with his phone for a few minutes before putting it up and turning his attention to him.
"So, you got any parents out there missing you, kid? If you know their number, I can give 'em a ring so they don't have to worry about where you are anymore. I looked through all the files but it never mentioned a family and facial recognition can't seem to get an ID on you. Friday's still looking, but it'll help us out if you can tell us anything." Tony's eyes never waver from Danny's and it makes him uncomfortable.
This is a trick that Danny knows well. The trainers and scientists used this trick all the time to see if his time in the chair had any effect on him. They'd pretend he was rescued, ask him really personal questions about his life and family, and then, if he didn't answer how they liked, they would punish him and put him in the chair. They'd done it so many different ways and times that Danny no longer trusts anyone that asks those sorts of questions.
Danny stares at Tony, swallows, and then says the required response. "This asset has no family." It comes out raspy and barely audible, but he manages to get the words out.
Tony looks away for a moment with a frown that he quickly hides. Danny catches glimpses of several other expressions, but he isn't sure how to interpret them.
A gentle poking in a particularly painful area makes Danny wince and look at the doctor. She's putting some sort of cream on a nasty gash that's bruised. "Sorry if I hurt you. I just need to wrap this back up and then I'm done." She's very quick with her work, and soon Danny is bandaged back up and bringing his gown back down.
Doctor Cho places the blanket and flips the end of the blanket back over Danny's waist with a smile. "There. All done. I'll leave you alone now, but if you need anything, push that little button I showed you." She picks up the tray, leaving the table next to his bed and walks towards the door, whispering something too low for Danny to hear as she passes Tony and leaves the room.
When the door closes, Tony drags a chair over to Danny's bed and sits down. "I feel like there's a misunderstanding between the two of us so let's start over. My name is Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man and a member of the Avengers."
There's a brief pause from Tony as he waves a hand toward Danny in a flourish that Danny really isn't sure how to interpret. Is he waiting for a response? There was no order given or question asked for him to answer.
"Are you my handler?" Danny's head cocks to the side as he watches the man's shoulders slump just briefly. It isn't a response that Danny expects or can decipher, but he briefly worries that he might have made a mistake asking that question.
"Oh, kid." Danny's maybe-handler sighs, giving him a sad smile. "This isn't Hydra. I know you don't believe me, but you will eventually. Do you remember your name? Cause I know it isn't 'asset'."
Another trick.
"My name is the Phantom Soldier. What are my orders?" Danny asks, placing the cup on the table and readying himself for whatever this man demands.
"Just focus on getting better, okay?"
Not a request that Danny is expecting, but if they want to use him for something, then he'll need to be in peak condition. He gives Tony a small nod in response.
Tony looks at his watch and his phone before returning his attention to Danny. "Look, I gotta go do a few things, but I'll check on you before bed. I know Cho said you can use the button to call her, but if you need anything, anything at all, then just let my A.I. Friday know. Say hello, Friday."
Danny jumps as a female's voice comes from nowhere. "Hello. If I can be of any help, please do not hesitate to let me know." Danny can't see any cameras or speakers, but that doesn't mean they aren't there.
With no other response, Tony leaves the room.
The minute the door shuts, Danny relaxes. Picking up the white cup, he sucks on a few more pieces of ice. A tentative touch on his neck with the hand that doesn't have an IV tells him that he doesn't have that horrible collar. Not that it means much. His throat is still messed up from his last ghostly wail that he can't even do a small one. He'll have to hope these people don't put the collar back on before he can gather his strength again.
Danny's throat is rough, but his actual neck doesn't feel bad. He would say the gash on his chest hurts the worst, but honestly he's so used to being in pain at this point that he isn't particularly bothered by it. No, the worst is the bone deep fatigue that never seems to go away. The kind of fatigue that can wear a person down until they give up. The kind of fatigue that Danny's been dealing with for years now.
Settling into the bed a bit more, Danny looks around the room. There isn't much aside from the medical equipment. The walls are a bright blue that lightens the room up. There are no lights in the ceiling that Danny can see, but the entire room is lit up. The room is also large enough that another bed sits on the other side of the room. Far enough that each person can have privacy and yet close enough that if there was another person, they wouldn't have to shout to have a conversation.
Two large TVs sit on the wall opposite the beds, though they're both shut off at the moment. Danny can't remember the last time he was allowed to watch television. His kidnappers always tell him that objects don't get to have luxuries, and that's what he is, isn't it?
An object.
A weapon.
Certainly not a person. At least, not anymore.
They've made sure of that.
Danny lays his head back, and even with the lights on, falls asleep to the sounds of his heartbeat beeping on the machine next to him.
Tony paces back and forth in his lab as the anger boils underneath his skin. If he could go back in time, he absolutely would just so he could destroy those fuckers again. Except he'd make the pain last longer. Maybe employ Natasha to use her skills in torture.
"This asset has no family."
Watching that suspiciously blank face on the kid's face as he'd said that had made Tony's heart shatter. He never wants to hear anything like that come from the kid ever again. Unfortunately, Tony knows he'll probably be hearing things like that a lot until the teams are able to earn some trust and reprogram the brainwashing.
He's not sure if his B.A.R.F. program will work on the kid as easily as it did on Barnes. From the files the genius had read through and Cho's reports, the poor kid isn't completely human. He isn't a mutant or Inhuman either, lacking the genes to be classified as such. Something about his DNA is hard to test and his blood deteriorates too quickly to really do anything with. By the third test, it's deteriorated so much that none of the normal markers will work.
Tony needs Barnes. As much as he hates to admit it, talking to the guy might give him the insight Tony needs to help the kid.
"Friday, can you ask Barnes to come to the lab?" Tony sits down and pulls up the footage from the kid's (he really needs to come up with a name for him) room.
A moment later, Friday responds, "Mr. Barnes is on his way down, Boss."
Tony doesn't reply, instead he watches the entire interaction between Cho, the kid, and himself, trying to get a clue on what to do. He knows it's not really going to help, but he needs to do something or he's going to start throwing things.
Tony is on his third playthrough when Barnes walks through the lab doors. "Friday said you needed to talk to me but she didn't say why."
"C'mere and watch this," Tony replies. "I figured it's best to go to the expert on brainwashing. Maybe you'll be able to tell me the best way to help this kid." Tony restarts the video, not giving Barnes a chance to object.
Barnes sits down on the nearest chair, his eyes not leaving the hologram. If Tony hadn't been watching the guy, he'd have never caught the rage and fear that passes over his face. It's quickly replaced with guilt, but Tony leaves his questions until the video is done.
When the video is done, Tony stops it. "What did you see that I didn't?"
The super soldier turns to Tony with that same guilty look. "Tony, I don't think I'll be able to help you. I don't remember much, but I do remember them using me to beat the shit out of that kid. He heals from just about anything and I was used as punishment when he wouldn't do what they wanted. He'd been there maybe 6 months by the time I managed to get away. Anytime they wanted to put him in the chair, they had me beat him within an inch of his life."
Tony stares at Barnes thoughtfully. If that's the case, then introducing Barnes to Phantom (ugh it's better to just call him 'the kid') will be a horrible decision. God, everyone on this team needs therapy.
Except maybe Sam.
And Vision.
And maybe Rhodey.
Who is he kidding, everyone on the team needs therapy.
"I'm not telling you to go into his room and interrogate the kid, Barnes. I'm asking you what I can do to help this broken and brainwashed kid that's not even fully human." Tony gestures from the ex-assassin to where the hologram used to be. "From a previously broken and brainwashed person to another. I need suggestions that I can use to help earn his trust so he can get better."
That seems to surprise Barnes, probably because Tony has never asked for his help before. They usually avoid each other like the plague.
Tony sees the surprise and shrinks in his chair just a little. He turns and rests an arm on his table. Fiddling with a few metal pieces strewn around, he avoids Barnes' questioning look.
"I know we haven't gotten on the best of terms and I know it's not your fault. What happened in Siberia never should have happened. A lot of anger and secrets were thrown around and none of it was your fault. It was equally Steve's and mine. We both made mistakes." He runs a hand through his hair, messing up the perfectly styled locks.
"The two of us have too much pride, and so we walk around on eggshells while trying not to step on each other's toes. I should have talked about this sooner with you, but you run away from me everytime we're in the same room together and I just didn't want to bring up something so painful." Tony drops the piece he's playing with and turns to look at the ex-assassin. "You went through a lot of pain with Hydra. You had to go through so much on your own just to remember a small part of your past. I'm sorry about what happened that day."
This appears to completely blindside Barnes. He clearly never thought something like this would happen. Clearly didn't think he deserved an apology. "I thought you hated me and were just doing this because King T'Challa asked," Barnes says. "I didn't want to bring up any bad memories, so I just stayed out of your way. I know things are still a little tense between the teams and I didn't want to make it worse."
"Well, gee. Now I feel even worse for not talking to you sooner," Tony says with a small chuckle. "Nah. Don't worry about it. If anyone is gonna make things worse, it's probably going to be me. Don't worry about it, really. Pepper and Rhodey know how to make sure I don't put my foot in my mouth."
When Tony doesn't get a response, he pulls up the hologram again. "Now, how do I help this kid so he doesn't have to go through the deprogramming alone?"