Misguided Ghosts {A Bucky Barnes fanfic}

Chapter Four Part Two

"Bucky?" Steve and I said at the same time. A wave of confusion crossed his face and his eyebrows knitted together.
"Who the hell's Bucky?" He asked. My heart dropped into my stomach and I felt like I was going to vomit. He pointed his gun at us, but Sam flew down and kicked him. Bucky and I made direct eye contact and something registered in his mind. He pointed the gun at me again, but an explosion knocked him off his feet. Natasha was leaning against a car with a gun in her hands. I felt the strangest impulse to run towards Bucky, but cars surrounded us and Steve grasped my arm tightly. Men with guns dressed in black shouted at us to get on our knees and drop our weapons, which we did reluctantly. One pointed a gun to Steve's head, but Brock stopped him.
"Put the gun down. Not here," he said.
We were loaded into the back of a black vehicle with cuffs around our wrists. I was still in a state of shock.
"It was him," Steve stated. "He looked right at us. He didn't even know us."
"How is that even possible. That was like seventy years ago," Sam said.
"Zola. Bucky's whole unit was captured in forty-three. Zola experimented on him like he had with Rose," Steve explained.
"Whatever he did helped Bucky survive the fall," I said.
"He must have found him," Steve whispered.
"None of it's your fault," Natasha said while closing her eyes.
"Even when we had nothing, we had Bucky," I said. Tears threatened to spill from my eyes as I looked at my hands. Sam glanced over at Tasha's wound.
"We need to get a doctor here. We don't put pressure on that, she's gonna bleed out right here," Sam said to the two guards sitting with us. One of them pulled out their taser stick and threatened us with it. They tased the other guard and kicked him in the face, knocking them out.
"That thing was squeezing my brain," Maria said as she took her helmet off. I smiled. She looked at Sam then to me. "Who's this guy?"
She used her taser stick to drill a hole in the floor of the van.
"Alright everybody out," she said when we came to a stop. We all climbed out of the hole as fast as we could then jumped into another van. Maria drove us to this place by the dam and we all loaded out. Steve helped Natasha out and towards a gate entrance. Maria opened the door and we all followed her down the dimly lit cave or whatever you want to call it. A man ran towards us.
"GSW, she's lost at least a pint," Maria informed him.
"Maybe two," Sam said.
"Let me take her," the man said.
"She'll want to see him first," Maria stated with a smile painted on her face.
"See who?" I asked, but receiving no answer. We proceeded down the hall and Maria drew back a curtain to reveal Nick Fury alive and well. Scratch that; he was alive, but he didn't look well. He looked as if the devil himself had dragged Nick through hell and back. We just stood in the doorway with our mouths hanging open. Nick lifted his head and looked at us.
"About damn time," he said. I laughed. He was still the same, old Nick.
The doctor was applying serious pressure to Natasha's shoulder while Nick informed us about all the injuries he had.
"They cut you up and your heart stopped," Natasha said.
"They filled me up with toxin B. Slows the pulse to one beat a minute. Banner developed it for stress. Didn't work so great for him. We found a use for it," Nick explained.
"Why all the secrecy? Why not just tell us?" Steve asked in a harsh tone. I could easily tell he was fed up with everyone lying to him.
"The attempt in the director's life had to look successful," Maria explained.
"Can't kill you if you're already dead," Nick put in. "Besides, I wasn't sure who to trust."
I sat down in a metal chair and put my head down in between my legs.
"What are you doing?" Steve asked.
"Shh. Everyone stop talking for a moment," I snapped. I took deep breaths and put my hands over my ears. I had to find Bucky. I had to find out what was going on. This was going to be very difficult to find his mind, but I had to try. It took me a good minute or so to find him, but once I did, I made sure I kept concentration. He was sitting in some sort of lab, in a chair, surrounded by people in lab coats and glasses. They were working on his metal arm; he was completely emotionless. I started to experience moments from when he was captured and tested on. First, it was Zola. "Sergeant Barnes," he called. Following that was his fall off the train, and that was hard for me to watch. "The procedure has already started," Zola's voice echoed. Images of the snow covered ground splattered with blood, a needle, and a blade cutting through skin were quick, yet vibrant. I watched from his point of view as he lifted his hands and examined his metal hand and his real hand. He grabbed a scientist nearby with the metal hand by the neck. Then I saw him being put on ice. The flashback ended and he threw one of the scientist in the room with him across the room. The guards pointed their loaded guns at him, and Pierce walked in a moment later. I growled, but didn't lose focus.
"Mission report," Pierce said. Bucky didn't answer. "Mission report, now." Pierce slapped Bucky across the face and I winced.
"The woman and man on the bridge," he finally spoke. An image of Steve and I appeared quickly then faded. "Who were they?"
Someone placed a hand on my shoulder, causing me to lose concentration for a moment when Pierce said something.
"No," I growled and the hand was removed.
"I knew them," Bucky said softly. His memory was returning, slowly and painfully. Piece by piece.
"Your work has been a gift to mankind," Pierce said. "You shaped the century and I need you to do it one more time. Society's at a tipping point between order and chaos. Tomorrow morning we're going to give it a push, but if you don't do your part I can't do mine. And HYDRA can't give the world the freedom it deserves."
"But I knew them," Bucky replied, his voice cracking and his eyes filling with tears. My heart broke and I felt my own tears escape my closed eyes.
"Prep him," Pierce said. I wish I was there to comfort Bucky. I needed to help him escape. He wasn't the villain here; he was a victim. A victim of HYDRA and the nasty power they possessed.
"Wipe him and start over," Pierce ordered. Bucky was scared, lost, and heartbroken. He had to obey or he would suffer the consequences, and all I could do was watch.
He was forced back into the seat and a man inserted something into his mouth. Clamps were placed around his arms to restrict him, and something came over to his head. His heart raced and his breathing quickened. He was scared and it hurt me to see him like that. One piece of the machine was placed on the side of his head, the other on the left side of his face. He screamed out in pain as his memory was cleared. I was screaming also, tears running down my face furiously. I was pulled back when someone shook me by the shoulders. When my vision cleared, I saw Steve standing in front of me, pain and worry evident on his face.
"Steve, they're hurting him," I chocked out. "They did a memory swipe, that's why he didn't remember us. He...he started to, but they t-took it away again." I sobbed into his chest and he rubbed small circles on my back.
"Who? Who's hurting him?" Steve asked.
"Pierce. He's a member of HYDRA. Oh Steve, it's not Buck's fault. He's like a puppet and Pierce is...the one controlling the strings." I pulled away and looked up into Steve's glossy blue eyes.
"He's the victim," I whispered. A period of silence followed my comment. Rage filled up in me as I pictured Pierce hurting Bucky.
"We're rescuing him," I stated.