Dumpster #5: We didn't start the trashfire

[trashmod]

Welcome to the latest, greatest, scummiest iteration of hydratrashmeme. Come on in and please check your sense of shame at the door.

Rules in brief: Don't be a jerk except to fictional characters. Warn if you want, but read at your own risk, because this is emphatically not a safe space. Link your fills on the fill post. Unprompted fills: make a prompt or a header comment and reply to it with the full text. Continuations of fills from earlier rounds: just make sure you link in both places.

What's on-topic: Filthy and perverted twists on all the quality whump served up by Cap: Winter Soldier. Noncon, aftermath, uncomfortably sexualized violence, mind control, inappropriate uses of Bucky Barnes' metal arm, bad guys doing dirtybadwrong things to your faves.
What's off-topic: a/b/o, D/s-verse, soulbonds, mundane AUs, shippy/romanticized noncon, MCU heroes repurposed into OOC or edgydark delivery vehicles for your fave's suffering. If you've got a prompt for one of those burning a hole in your brain, head on over to mcu_trash.

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Comments

Fill: The Quiet Game (12.2/?)

[devildears]

“About three weeks ago...” Steve stopped himself and sat back down on his chair heavily, keeping his face slightly turned away from the Widow.

He wiped over his sweaty forehead with one hand, conscious about what she might read in his expression. Then, he took a deep breath, steeling himself against the inevitable feelings of guilt and shame that threatened to choke him and began his report.

“Three weeks ago, a group of Hydra agents snuck over the Wakandan border, carrying out a coordinated attack...”

His voice shook and Steve stopped himself to take a deep breath.

She frowned at that but didn’t interrupt, waiting him out.

“They were coming after Bucky. He was their target. They— When they got to our hut, they saw a bunch of children playing outside. Children Bucky knows. He always talks about them...”

Tears were starting to pool in Steve’s eyes. He tried to hold them back, he really did, blinking rapidly, but it was of no use. Natasha watched them roll down his cheeks impassively.

“The children. Right,” she prompted, face blank, an empty canvas completely rid of expectation, giving nothing away. She’d been trained for that, the deadly poker face of the red room. Never lost her touch. “Then what happened?”

“They threatened to kill them if he didn’t do what they said. Bucky— Bucky went with them willingly. He felt he had no other choice. They forced him— They brought him and the children inside the hut and they... God—” Steve’s voice broke and he looked to the ceiling like he was asking for divine remission there, ignoring the constant stream of ugly tears running down his face.

“It's ok, Steve, he’s safe now. We both know you wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t.” 

“I know, it’s just... Nat, they— they gang raped him. In front of the children! They— Who does that? What kind of a monster could do something like that? I mean he— Bucky didn’t even fight back. He said he couldn’t... That they had guns on him and the children the whole time but I don’t know, I— I was too late. When I got home they were already gone and Bucky was— Jesus, they hurt him so bad. He was all bruised up and bleeding, and his face was cut, and he...”

Steve stopped his rambling and broke out in a sob. “Jesus, Nat...”

Natasha patted his arm in support but didn’t offer anything else beyond that. She let him cry for a bit without interfering.

When he had finally calmed down enough, she slipped out of the gloves and laid her small hand on his gently, directing his gaze back to her. Her expression was more open now, her body language radiated compassion.

“I’m sorry this happened to you. You two must be devastated.”

Steve nodded. “It’s hard. I don’t know what to do or say that will help him. I— I said some horrible things at first. Nat, I practically blamed him for it!”

Natasha shook her head patiently.

“That’s understandable. You can’t be perfect all the time, Steve. No one prepared you for this. Men don’t expect that kind of violence. Especially not in their own home. It’s not something you deal with on a daily basis.”

“And you do?”

Natasha smiled at him sadly. “This isn’t about me... You know, it’s not uncommon for organizations like Hydra to use rape as a tool. They use it for revenge, to exert control over their victims, to humiliate them, silence them, compromise their sense of security. I’m sure Bucky did everything he could under the circumstances.”

“I know he did, I just...”

“They probably thought it would destroy him - or you.” Her gaze hardened. “Don’t let them win.”

Steve shook his head with determination. “I won’t. We’ll get them back for this.”

“Of course you will. What do you need?” she asked.

“Nat, listen. Before you get involved, there’s something you should know...” Steve sighed deeply. “Bucky didn’t report it. T’challa and Shuri know, as do a few of the parents and the children’s families, but we didn’t tell anyone else. Bucky wants to find them and bring them to justice himself. We’ll operate outside of the law on this one. No courts, no jury, no judge. Just good old fashioned revenge. I’m talking execution style kills if he wants them. I’m gonna help Bucky in every way I can but I’m afraid we can’t do it alone.”

“Agreed.” She nodded. “You need me. You’re just not gonna say it. I know you’re playing coy. Fortunately for you, killing rapists is my favorite sport. So, I’m in either way. What about the others?”

“What about them?”

“We’re not gonna involve them in the search? Not even Stark? I mean, he’s still not a fan but he’s a wizard with modern technology. He can find people in ways I don’t have access to. If we tell him what happened, I’m sure he can help...”

“He almost killed the love of my life, Nat,” Steve retorted brusquely.

“And for that, you almost killed him right back. So just call it even. I swear you’re as stubborn as a mule sometimes. I know he’s been trying to reach out to you, to make amends.”

“He has. But we can’t risk it. One stupid comment about how karma always comes back around and I swear to God— I’d lose my shit.” 

She sighed. “Alright. I see your point. Are you sure you don’t want any backup though? Might be a lot faster than doing this on our own.”

Steve shook his head vehemently.

“Not if we can help it. Stark’s out of the picture. I hardly know how I’ll explain to Bucky that I told you everything after he explicitly told me not to, but I’m afraid if we bring Sam or anyone else from the team into this—”

Natasha laughed at him. “Then he’ll... What? Never forgive you? Oh chin up, Rogers... Don’t be daft. He knew you’d crack like an egg as soon as I looked at you sideways. He knows I’m a real asset in this operation. Believe me. It was just a matter of time. If he really didn’t want me to know he would have found a way to keep you in Wakanda. I mean, you can’t lie for shit, especially not to your friends - but he can without batting an eye. What does that tell you? Give him some credit.”

Steve blinked at her, a little perplexed. He hadn’t considered that Bucky’s methodical thinking accounted for his failure, too.

“Why... Why didn’t he just say so?”

Natasha smirked. “Maybe turning the knife on you like that is his way of dishing out some well-deserved payback. I don’t know. It’s a little passive aggressive, but... Why are you asking me that? He’s your guy now, Rogers. Figure it out. What do we know about the targets anyways?”

“Do you remember a Grant Ward? Former S.H.I.E.L.D agent? Brown hair, about this tall?”

“Yes, I remember him.” Natasha never forgot a face. “Why? There’s no way he was involved in this.”

“He was their leader.”

Steve noticed a tiny muscle in her left cheek twitch. Other than that, Natasha gave no indication that Ward’s role made a difference to her. He was almost ready to believe that he had imagined it when she spoke up suddenly, her voice full of distaste. “I never liked him,” she explained. “He enjoyed his power a little too much, drawing his gun at inopportune moments where stealth was advisable, boasting with it in front of me and his team, flirting with the new recruits, taking unnecessary risks... I reported him for that once but it didn't stick. Until now I thought he had been arrested for treason for his involvement in Project Inside and died in S.H.I.E.L.D. holding.”

“He did, but apparently, we let him slip through the cracks when we reversed the decimation,” Steve spat. “The bastard’s still alive.”

She patted his arm, then retracted with the shake of her head, and wordlessly poured him another cup of coffee.

“Not for long,” Natasha said with a mean smile. Her trademark sing-song voice carried a deadly promise. “Not for long.”

Re: Fill: The Quiet Game (12.2/?)

[(Anonymous)]

If they got into Natasha’s phone after all, my bad feeling just intensified.

Re: Fill: The Quiet Game (12.2/?)

[(Anonymous)]

I love this and it makes me so happy whenever you update!