The building that the asset was being taken to loomed up in front of him, leaving him feeling ill. His heart raced and sickness swirled through him. This wasn't right. This wasn't right at all. The street layout reminded him of those missions a lifetime ago, which had been with Steve, who was here now as well. But it was different. That tower had never been there, and nor had any of the other buildings.
This was his punishment for his largest act of rebellion. He had chosen to escape from Hydra, to dive into that cold water and pull Steve out. To watch Steve's back like he had on his other missions. This wasn't like hiding food or deliberately getting someone injured. This was a bad thing. There was no way that they could miss that particular act of disobedience.
He wanted to stumble, to walk slower, but the consequences awaiting him were already so large he couldn't make them any worse. So he walked with Steve. Steve's arm was around his shoulder, resting on his arm which was rusting to the point where it no longer had its full range of movement. He carried on walking.
The doors swung open without assistance, and Steve smiled at him, squeezed his shoulder. "We can't really go back to mine. It's not safe, and anyway someone shot holes in the wall." Steve smiled as he said that. The asset didn't think he would be punished for whatever made Steve smile.
They went towards a lift. The asset did not like lifts, and was confused when the lift started to go up rather than down. He was used to being brought into vaults and labs which were further down, rather than rising up into the air. Rising up was frightening in a way, but enjoyable in another, and he wondered how high they would go.
"You feeling alright Bucky?" Steve asked, and the asset realigned his manner of thinking of himself. He was Bucky. He was with Steve in this tower. "Just a little..." He shrugged, falling silent, and Steve nodded slowly. "Must be quite scary... it's okay, you can eat soon, look..." The door opened and they stepped out into a living area, a small kitchen to the side. "This is the kitchen, anything you need, you can get it from here. My room's through this door, there's the bathroom. This room can be yours."
The door was opened and revealed a large double bed. There were bookshelves full of interesting looking stories, and a desk, and some photographs on the wall. One of the photographs was of him and Steve in an old mission, and there were other old photographs as well but Bucky kept looking at the bed. He didn't like beds. "You need anything at all Bucky, you just call me. Jarvis will be monitoring you if you aren't able to call."
"Jarvis?" "Jarvis is the AI...artificial intelligence in charge of the tower. He makes sure everyone is safe. If you have any problems, you can talk to him." Bucky nodded. He would be being watched. That was alright, he could handle that as long as he was careful not to do anything against the rules. He knew he shouldn't break the rules, but sometimes disobeying felt good, and he couldn't not do it. "Thank you."
"Let's get some food. You must be hungry. How does chicken soup sound?" The answer came to Bucky from nowhere, a bit of left over programming from an old mission. "Well, it kind of sploshes around a bit." Steve laughed and got Bucky to help make the soup. Bucky thought of stealing a slice of bread, but knew Jarvis was watching, so he just left it. The soup was warm and tasted good, but the price hadn't been mentioned. For a while they sat together, Steve explaining the protocols of the mission - where he could and couldn't go, what he could do, what he couldn't do. Then he taught Bucky all about the people who lived in the tower, making sure he could repeat the answers. Only then did Steve say goodnight, and Bucky head to his room.
He searched his room. There was a camera above the door, and another pointing in it, and a number of speakers. He tried to search in silence. "Are you in need of assistance Sergeant Barnes?" The question came from the ceiling in clipped British tones, and Bucky tried not to jump. This must be Jarvis. "Are you watching me?" "I am observing through three cameras and a number of speakers. However, if you would rather I am able to turn off the majority of the monitoring equipment." "Thanks." Bucky said softly, and the red lights over the cameras flickered out.
Bucky didn't trust that he wasn't being watched, but it still helped a little to not be gazed at quite so obviously. He looked at the large bed, threatening from the centre of the room, and decided he wouldn't get in there.
He considered hiding beneath, before he noticed the wardrobe. He could tuck up inside of it, presuming that there were no shelves in the way. Opening it revealed that there was space inside of it, and he climbed in, careful not to make too much noise.
He wrapped his arms around his knees and carefully pulled the door closed, knowing that here he was safe. Jarvis was unable to monitor him now, and even in this building, with punishment overhanging him, he had temporarily escaped.
FILL: Cheaters Never Prosper (3/5+1)
This was his punishment for his largest act of rebellion. He had chosen to escape from Hydra, to dive into that cold water and pull Steve out. To watch Steve's back like he had on his other missions. This wasn't like hiding food or deliberately getting someone injured. This was a bad thing. There was no way that they could miss that particular act of disobedience.
He wanted to stumble, to walk slower, but the consequences awaiting him were already so large he couldn't make them any worse. So he walked with Steve. Steve's arm was around his shoulder, resting on his arm which was rusting to the point where it no longer had its full range of movement. He carried on walking.
The doors swung open without assistance, and Steve smiled at him, squeezed his shoulder.
"We can't really go back to mine. It's not safe, and anyway someone shot holes in the wall." Steve smiled as he said that. The asset didn't think he would be punished for whatever made Steve smile.
They went towards a lift. The asset did not like lifts, and was confused when the lift started to go up rather than down. He was used to being brought into vaults and labs which were further down, rather than rising up into the air. Rising up was frightening in a way, but enjoyable in another, and he wondered how high they would go.
"You feeling alright Bucky?" Steve asked, and the asset realigned his manner of thinking of himself. He was Bucky. He was with Steve in this tower.
"Just a little..." He shrugged, falling silent, and Steve nodded slowly.
"Must be quite scary... it's okay, you can eat soon, look..." The door opened and they stepped out into a living area, a small kitchen to the side.
"This is the kitchen, anything you need, you can get it from here. My room's through this door, there's the bathroom. This room can be yours."
The door was opened and revealed a large double bed. There were bookshelves full of interesting looking stories, and a desk, and some photographs on the wall. One of the photographs was of him and Steve in an old mission, and there were other old photographs as well but Bucky kept looking at the bed. He didn't like beds.
"You need anything at all Bucky, you just call me. Jarvis will be monitoring you if you aren't able to call."
"Jarvis?"
"Jarvis is the AI...artificial intelligence in charge of the tower. He makes sure everyone is safe. If you have any problems, you can talk to him."
Bucky nodded. He would be being watched. That was alright, he could handle that as long as he was careful not to do anything against the rules. He knew he shouldn't break the rules, but sometimes disobeying felt good, and he couldn't not do it.
"Thank you."
"Let's get some food. You must be hungry. How does chicken soup sound?"
The answer came to Bucky from nowhere, a bit of left over programming from an old mission.
"Well, it kind of sploshes around a bit."
Steve laughed and got Bucky to help make the soup. Bucky thought of stealing a slice of bread, but knew Jarvis was watching, so he just left it. The soup was warm and tasted good, but the price hadn't been mentioned. For a while they sat together, Steve explaining the protocols of the mission - where he could and couldn't go, what he could do, what he couldn't do. Then he taught Bucky all about the people who lived in the tower, making sure he could repeat the answers. Only then did Steve say goodnight, and Bucky head to his room.
He searched his room. There was a camera above the door, and another pointing in it, and a number of speakers. He tried to search in silence.
"Are you in need of assistance Sergeant Barnes?" The question came from the ceiling in clipped British tones, and Bucky tried not to jump. This must be Jarvis.
"Are you watching me?"
"I am observing through three cameras and a number of speakers. However, if you would rather I am able to turn off the majority of the monitoring equipment."
"Thanks." Bucky said softly, and the red lights over the cameras flickered out.
Bucky didn't trust that he wasn't being watched, but it still helped a little to not be gazed at quite so obviously. He looked at the large bed, threatening from the centre of the room, and decided he wouldn't get in there.
He considered hiding beneath, before he noticed the wardrobe. He could tuck up inside of it, presuming that there were no shelves in the way. Opening it revealed that there was space inside of it, and he climbed in, careful not to make too much noise.
He wrapped his arms around his knees and carefully pulled the door closed, knowing that here he was safe. Jarvis was unable to monitor him now, and even in this building, with punishment overhanging him, he had temporarily escaped.