The Phantom | Bucky Barnes

Prologue

Parents usually teach children to beware of the Big Bad Wolf, the embodiment of fear and danger.

"Be careful out there or you may meet the Big Bad Wolf," They say.

So everyone tries to not be the Little Red Riding Hood and avoid talking to strangers. Nobody wants to be kidnapped, or worse. But sometimes, the danger is not the unknown. Sometimes, the danger is closer that what you may think. Sometimes, the danger is just beside you. So how to beware of something we cannot see? How to beware of something that creeps in the dark, parasites what you think is good, and steals the shape of justice?

Parents usually teach children to beware the Big Bad Wolf. But they should have instead taught them to beware of the HYDRA.

~~

The place was dark, dived in black and silent. No ray of the slightest light. There was nothing but of a twenty-four years old looking blonde woman, lied on the cold stone floor and chained to a wall. There was nothing but that sickening high pitch buzzing sound in her ear. There was nothing but that everlasting numbness in her entire being and that forever blankness in her mind.

Where was she? How did she get here? When was she? Who was she? Strangely, she couldn't remember. She tried. She pressed her eyes closed and recalled, reminisced. But nothing. All she saw was an endless void. All she heard was an endless deadly silence. It was as if she didn't have any memory. It was as if she had nothing to remember. It was as if she was a newborn seeing the world for the first time. What should she think? How should she act? What should she do? Why was she here? What was her purpose? She had no past to refer to. No experience. Nothing.

The soundless place was suddenly disturbed by a high squeaky sound, like an old door opening and dragging against the floor. Slowly, light crept inside the darkroom allowing the woman to take a look at the place. But there weren't many things. There was nothing but cracking cement walls. No lamp, no chair, no window, nothing. The door opened wider, revealing a late forty years old woman. The young woman squinted her eyes, not used to so much light as she observed the unknown woman. She inspired her nothing. She didn't know her. She didn't remember her. The late forty years old woman's brown hair was tied in a perfect slick low bun. Dressed in a long blue navy dress coat, she walked over to the lied girl, her heels filling the room with regular sounds. Her cold, firm, stern grey eyes pierced through the young woman's whole being. The latter gathered her remaining strength and shakily sat up. It was like the most difficult thing she had to do in her entire existence. Her limbs were numb, comparable to gelatine or pasta.

The grown woman crouched down in front of the young woman. Her eyes suddenly softened, showing sympathy and care. The young woman strangely felt safe. The woman seemed kind and caring.

"I am Madame Kuznetsov," She introduced with a thick Russian accent. "Feel free to call me Madam K. How are you feeling?" she then asked.

How did the young woman felt? She didn't know herself. Was she sad? Was she happy? What she mad? She didn't know. She had nothing to compare to. She never felt any kind of feeling, so she didn't know what she was feeling. But she wasn't seeming to be bad, was she?

"Where are we?" the young woman asked instead, not knowing what to say. Madame K seemed satisfied for some reason.

"красная комната. The Red Room," Madame K said. The young woman frowned. "Have no fear. It's a safe place. You are protected here,"

"Why should I be protected?"

"The war has ended. The Nazis are defeated. But cut off one head, and two more will take its place," Madame K answered. But the young woman was still lost. What war? What head? "Our fight is not over. The purpose had been taken over by the Russian people,"

"What do you mean? I don't understand,"

"You will with time, my child," Madame K reassured, petting the young woman's hair gently. "Now is not the time,"

Madame K took out a silver object from her coat. It was a key. She then leaned in and unlock the shackles that were holding the young woman. Her ankles and wrists were bruised by how tied the metal chains were holding her.

"You are ready now," Madame K said as she stood up. She extended a hand to the young woman who took it gladly.

"Ready for what?" the young woman asked as she stood on her feet, confused.

"You are just like him. Now is the time for your rebirth. He may have destroyed the main organization, but not the little ones dispatched all around the world. HYDRA is immortal. And you'll be our secret weapon. You'll be a symbol, the first one of many others. You're ready for the P.E.S Project. You're ready to become the very first Phantom,"