"I need you to go to the Vault," Pierce told Steve when he answered his SHIELDRA-issued phone. "I'd go myself but the World Security Council requires my attention.”
The Vault meant the asset. Something the tech team and other agents present couldn't handle. He wondered where Rumlow was, but it ultimately didn't matter.
"I understand, sir. I'm on my way," Steve assured him. He grabbed the keys for his bike, threw the bag with his shield and other gear over his shoulder, and headed down the stairs.
"This is a delicate time, Captain Rogers," Pierce said. "We're putting a lot of faith in you. Solve the issue, get a mission report, and make sure it and you are prepared for tomorrow. Understood, Captain?"
"Yes, sir," said Steve. Don’t think about the launch. Just do your job. Don’t think about it.
"Good," said Pierce and ended the call without any mention of HYDRA. He must not have been alone.
All the way to the bank, the possibilities whirled through Steve's mind.
The first gates clanged open for him. A guard who hadn't seen him there before stared at him wide-eyed.
"What the hell is going on that someone thought the Secretary had to be disturbed," Steve demanded as one of the techs came toward him.
The man shifted nervously tugging at his collar. "He sent you, Captain Rogers?" He looked worried.
Steve wondered why, after all the times he'd assisted the tech team, his presence was suddenly a reason for concern. Had the asset, had Bucky, remembered something and acted out? Had the asset been injured or damaged in a way that meant it couldn't perform its part tomorrow? "Yes,” he snapped. “What’s going on?"
"The asset is erratic, unstable," the tech said hurriedly. "Unresponsive to commands, lashing out at the team during arm maintenance. We've had to send two people for medical attention."
"I thought the asset was with STRIKE today? Where's Commander Rumlow?"
“The hospital, Captain.”
”Was he injured?” Damn it, Steve was not concerned, he was simply too used to playing a good friend and teammate.
”Uh, not him, Captain.”
Well, that was helpful. Steve set his jaw against the urge to sigh.
Whatever was going on, the tech team deserved whatever was coming to them simply for having left the asset unrestrained in the chair. It sat there, bare chest heaving as it stared at something no one else could see. There was blood drying on the back of its right hand where it had pulled out its IV line.
Steve took a steadying breath and stalked up to stand in front of it. "Soldier. Mission report," he said and waited. The asset continued to stare at nothing. Steve took a step closer, understanding now why the tech team had been worried enough to contact Pierce. He was sure they’d wanted Captain America as uninvolved with the Insight Launch as they could manage. "Mission report. Now, asset." Still nothing.
Fuck. The longer this went on, the worse he’d be expected to hurt it.
Reluctantly, Steve flexed his fingers and then slapped the asset across the face. It rocked with the blow, turning its head and blinking as it came back from wherever its mind had been. "Mission report, Soldier," Steve prompted it again, more gently this time.
"The woman on the bridge. The redhead. Who was she?"
Natasha, Steve knew instantly. He could even answer this. "Natalia Romanova," he said. "She came out of the Black Widow program."
The asset frowned. "I knew her," it said. It looked to Steve for confirmation.
He nodded. "You've run missions both with her and opposing her. She defected."
Around them, he was aware of the techs' and guards' increasing uneasiness.
"She shot my goggles," it said, as if to itself. “She’s a threat.”
Steve sighed, hoping it looked like anything but relief. "We'll get you another pair, Soldier. You have spares, right?"
For the first time since he had entered, it focused on his face. "Yes, Captain," it said.
He could feel the anxiety level of the room drop.
"Tomorrow is going to be a big day for us," Steve said, more softly. "We both need to be ready to do our part." He hated himself so much for what he would have to do next but there wasn't any way around it. "Everything has to go right tomorrow. You can't malfunction like you did today." He cupped its cheek with one hand and pressed his thumb to its lips which parted automatically. It sucked on the tip of his thumb, eyes fixed on his. "You'll comply with the tech team, won't you, asset?"
It nodded slightly and Steve removed his hand. "Good. Everything will be just fine, you'll see," he went on, "I'm with you."
"To the end of the line," said the asset and Steve just froze while the world around him spun horrifyingly and then righted itself.
"Yeah, pal," he said and crouched to look more directly into Bucky's eyes. "To the end of the line. And if we make it there, if there's a world where we don't have to fight anymore," he promised, "you can come home with me and be Bucky to your heart's content. Do you want that, Soldier?"
Bucky nodded, equally solemn.
"Then trust me, and do as you're told," Steve said. Stalling for one more second, he kissed Bucky on the forehead.
Then he pushed him back into the maintenance chair.
The restraints closed automatically. Steve felt like his heart had to be beating loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear it. Bucky probably could. He didn't think he'd understand what it meant but that didn't matter. It couldn't matter. Not now.
"Wipe him," he ordered. The command came out with all the chill he held inside. He had to freeze his heart over or else start screaming. "The asset’s been out of cryo too long. No more mistakes." Bucky watched Steve with sad resignation but didn't struggle against the chair or try to refuse the bite guard.
This is the last time , he promised himself as he watched Bucky scream. I don't care what the consequences are. This is the last time.
When the screaming stopped, Steve ordered everyone else out of the room, bent close to the restrained Winter Soldier's ear and whispered to him, "Remember who you are, Sergeant James Buchanan Bucky Barnes."
The Winter Soldier looked up at him in pained confusion.
"Trust me, Bucky. I'm love you and I’m with you to the end of the line.”
”Your asset and your Bucky,” he said softly, wonderingly, like the words were part of a half-remembered dream. Frowning, he looked Steve up and down. “You are... You’re my...” Bucky closed his mouth and stared at Steve imploringly.
Fill 98/110: Undeniable Plausibility
"I need you to go to the Vault," Pierce told Steve when he answered his SHIELDRA-issued phone. "I'd go myself but the World Security Council requires my attention.”
The Vault meant the asset. Something the tech team and other agents present couldn't handle. He wondered where Rumlow was, but it ultimately didn't matter.
"I understand, sir. I'm on my way," Steve assured him. He grabbed the keys for his bike, threw the bag with his shield and other gear over his shoulder, and headed down the stairs.
"This is a delicate time, Captain Rogers," Pierce said. "We're putting a lot of faith in you. Solve the issue, get a mission report, and make sure it and you are prepared for tomorrow. Understood, Captain?"
"Yes, sir," said Steve. Don’t think about the launch. Just do your job. Don’t think about it.
"Good," said Pierce and ended the call without any mention of HYDRA. He must not have been alone.
All the way to the bank, the possibilities whirled through Steve's mind.
The first gates clanged open for him. A guard who hadn't seen him there before stared at him wide-eyed.
"What the hell is going on that someone thought the Secretary had to be disturbed," Steve demanded as one of the techs came toward him.
The man shifted nervously tugging at his collar. "He sent you, Captain Rogers?" He looked worried.
Steve wondered why, after all the times he'd assisted the tech team, his presence was suddenly a reason for concern. Had the asset, had Bucky, remembered something and acted out? Had the asset been injured or damaged in a way that meant it couldn't perform its part tomorrow? "Yes,” he snapped. “What’s going on?"
"The asset is erratic, unstable," the tech said hurriedly. "Unresponsive to commands, lashing out at the team during arm maintenance. We've had to send two people for medical attention."
"I thought the asset was with STRIKE today? Where's Commander Rumlow?"
“The hospital, Captain.”
”Was he injured?” Damn it, Steve was not concerned, he was simply too used to playing a good friend and teammate.
”Uh, not him, Captain.”
Well, that was helpful. Steve set his jaw against the urge to sigh.
Whatever was going on, the tech team deserved whatever was coming to them simply for having left the asset unrestrained in the chair. It sat there, bare chest heaving as it stared at something no one else could see. There was blood drying on the back of its right hand where it had pulled out its IV line.
Steve took a steadying breath and stalked up to stand in front of it. "Soldier. Mission report," he said and waited. The asset continued to stare at nothing. Steve took a step closer, understanding now why the tech team had been worried enough to contact Pierce. He was sure they’d wanted Captain America as uninvolved with the Insight Launch as they could manage. "Mission report. Now, asset." Still nothing.
Fuck. The longer this went on, the worse he’d be expected to hurt it.
Reluctantly, Steve flexed his fingers and then slapped the asset across the face. It rocked with the blow, turning its head and blinking as it came back from wherever its mind had been. "Mission report, Soldier," Steve prompted it again, more gently this time.
"The woman on the bridge. The redhead. Who was she?"
Natasha, Steve knew instantly. He could even answer this. "Natalia Romanova," he said. "She came out of the Black Widow program."
The asset frowned. "I knew her," it said. It looked to Steve for confirmation.
He nodded. "You've run missions both with her and opposing her. She defected."
Around them, he was aware of the techs' and guards' increasing uneasiness.
"She shot my goggles," it said, as if to itself. “She’s a threat.”
Steve sighed, hoping it looked like anything but relief. "We'll get you another pair, Soldier. You have spares, right?"
For the first time since he had entered, it focused on his face. "Yes, Captain," it said.
He could feel the anxiety level of the room drop.
"Tomorrow is going to be a big day for us," Steve said, more softly. "We both need to be ready to do our part." He hated himself so much for what he would have to do next but there wasn't any way around it. "Everything has to go right tomorrow. You can't malfunction like you did today." He cupped its cheek with one hand and pressed his thumb to its lips which parted automatically. It sucked on the tip of his thumb, eyes fixed on his. "You'll comply with the tech team, won't you, asset?"
It nodded slightly and Steve removed his hand. "Good. Everything will be just fine, you'll see," he went on, "I'm with you."
"To the end of the line," said the asset and Steve just froze while the world around him spun horrifyingly and then righted itself.
"Yeah, pal," he said and crouched to look more directly into Bucky's eyes. "To the end of the line. And if we make it there, if there's a world where we don't have to fight anymore," he promised, "you can come home with me and be Bucky to your heart's content. Do you want that, Soldier?"
Bucky nodded, equally solemn.
"Then trust me, and do as you're told," Steve said. Stalling for one more second, he kissed Bucky on the forehead.
Then he pushed him back into the maintenance chair.
The restraints closed automatically. Steve felt like his heart had to be beating loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear it. Bucky probably could. He didn't think he'd understand what it meant but that didn't matter. It couldn't matter. Not now.
"Wipe him," he ordered. The command came out with all the chill he held inside. He had to freeze his heart over or else start screaming. "The asset’s been out of cryo too long. No more mistakes." Bucky watched Steve with sad resignation but didn't struggle against the chair or try to refuse the bite guard.
This is the last time , he promised himself as he watched Bucky scream. I don't care what the consequences are. This is the last time.
When the screaming stopped, Steve ordered everyone else out of the room, bent close to the restrained Winter Soldier's ear and whispered to him, "Remember who you are, Sergeant James Buchanan Bucky Barnes."
The Winter Soldier looked up at him in pained confusion.
"Trust me, Bucky. I'm love you and I’m with you to the end of the line.”
”Your asset and your Bucky,” he said softly, wonderingly, like the words were part of a half-remembered dream. Frowning, he looked Steve up and down. “You are... You’re my...” Bucky closed his mouth and stared at Steve imploringly.
“I’m your Steve,” said Steve.
God, he hoped they were ready.