HARLOVSEN - An Avengers Fanfiction

Chapter 12 - Investigation 101

He nodded. First world war hero, my ass. But what had she to lose. This information wouldn't help them anyway.

"7 years ago, Siberia. Mission: Abducting the scientist Jurga Nowikow. No survivors," Katta repeated the facts of the task they had been given.

"And what about this one," Steve laid another picture at the table that showed her in a black dress at the inauguration speech of the last president.

"5 years ago, New York. Mission: Preventing terrorist attack on the old vice president. 4 Injured - 2 dead." Katta replayed the happenings in her head.

"Did you work for H.Y.D.R.A back then?" Rogers asked. Katta shook her head.

"But do you remember anything you did while you were working for them?" Steve raised his eyebrow.

"It's not like I had a contract," Katta remarked bitterly. "I did not work for them. They used me—all of us. And not only could they make me obey to the quietest whisper. They made me remember it. Every shot, every punch, every life taken," she stated harshly.

"Bucky didn't remember--" Steve started.

"Other countries, other customs," Katta interrupted him. He only nodded before speaking on. "When and how did you leave them?"

Katta glared at him. "Quite a lot of questions you have here, Rogers. What do I get in return?"

He frowned. "What did you think of, Harlovsen?"

"I would love to see the sun again, sometimes," she smiled faintly, tilting her head.

"You want to go outside," he stated.

"Very clever. Now I understand why they hired you, Rogers." Katta watched his face distorting in annoyance. This man truly was quickly offended. Not a good quality in this job.

"That is something I can't decide." He closed the folder and looked at her. Katta mirrored his gaze. The time had come for him to take a step in her direction. It was part of her H.Y.D.R.A training. Interrogation 101. Give and take equally. She'd given him information, and now it was her turn to stir the negotiation in the right direction.

"It is as easy as that, Captain. Answers for Authorization."

Steve examined her with a hard stare as if he wanted to look inside her. She leaned back in her chair. "You can always accompany me, Steve," she whispered, winking at him.

〰〰〰

"And he is out," Tony sighed, looking through the one-way mirror. "How can someone become so uncomfortable by a woman that is simply using one's first name." He shook his head.

"Indulge him. From the time he comes, that probably meant almost hooking up." Sam laughed, even earning a grin from Bucky, who had joined them to watch the interrogation.

"We should probably allow her going outside under surveillance," Bruce said, looking through the window at Steve, who tried to gather himself. As if she had heard him, Katta looked up, and it seemed like she could see them through the mirrored surface.

"She would easily put down every agent we make watching her," Wanda stated. She had tried to gain as much space between her and this whole recruiting thing, still having issues with threatening people.

"Oh, welcome to the conversation, witch," Tony remarked sarcastically.

"Bite me," she retorted.

"Easy thing. Barnes will look over her." Sam bit into a burrito, looking at the winter soldier. "That means if you don't feel uncomfortable being accompanied by a woman," he added, smirking at Bucky.

"Speaking of which, I better get Steve out of that room," Bucky answered, leaving the monitoring room.

"I'll take over, Steve," he said upon entering the interrogation room. His friend quickly got up, clearing his throat. Bucky took his seat and looked at Katta, who watched him with a bare expression.

"You'll get outside under the following conditions," he started. "One: Thirty minutes maximum per day. Two: You'll be under surveillance by one of us the entire time. Three: When we notice that you try either to flee, harm somebody or even think about setting off another bomb, the arrangement is cancelled."

Katta shortly thought about it before nodding.

"Perfect, answer the question then," Bucky demanded. A faint smile grazed over her face.

"I will tell you when the two of us do a walk outside." Katta could feel that he fought with himself before giving her a curt nod and standing up. The door immediately opened, and she followed him through the corridors until he stopped in front of the exit, grabbing her arm. She tensed under the touch, freezing in her move.

"Last warning, Harlovsen. One wrong move and the whole deal is over."

She nodded and breathed in as he let go of her and opened the door. Katta inhaled as she felt the fresh air waving over her skin when she stepped outside. They faced a vast inner courtyard with grass all over it.

She noticed the surveillance cameras filming the whole place.

"Now talk," Bucky said, watching how Katta carefully examined her environment. She nodded and took a seat at a bench. She started kneading her hands, something he'd seen on her repeatedly when she seemed in thoughts.

"It was during our last mission that Olaf's mind malfunctioned, and he suddenly broke free from the H.Y.D.R.A control. Without any warning, he was thrown back into reality and faced with a hard decision. He could either rely on what he'd been preached the last decades and thought was true - or revolt." Katta swallowed upon the memory. If Olaf had decided any differently, she would likely still be working for H.Y.D.R.A. Barnes cleared his throat, ripping her from her thoughts.

"Eh, yes. Back in the base, he acted as if everything was normal, slowly working against the institution by manipulating their experiments and security systems. One by one, he prevented us from being again controlled in the vicious circle. When the last of us had awoken from their H.Y.D.R.A self, we burned the institution down with no survivors." Her voice trembled a bit as she remembered the situation.

Bucky sat next to her and looked down. He had fought with nightmares about his time at H.Y.D.R.A but didn't even remember the details about his missions. Katta, on the other side, seemed to have a clear memory of everything that had happened.

"You're doing it again," she remarked without looking at him.

"Doing what?"

"Being pitiful doesn't suit you, Barnes." Katta got up and walked back inside and towards her room.