Ten Words- Bucky Barnes x Reader

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Taking a shuddering breath, Ali stood up. She should probably get her act together and prepare herself for this mission. She didn't yet know what she was going to do, but it was best to be prepared nonetheless. As she stood up, Strucker came back into the room, on his own this time. "Here is Barnes's file, and you can access his information from the computer." he said, tossing a thick cream-colored folder on the table.

Ali waited until Strucker had left the room before she pulled herself off the floor. Grabbing the file off of the interrogation table, she pulled up a chair in front of one of the multiple monitors. She flipped open the file to find it full of more gruesome pictures than she had imagined. As her eyes scanned the photos and text, Ali's heart ached. Once again, sympathy flooded for Bucky, which was out of character for Ali. Usually she felt sorry for prisoners here, but pushed their issues to the back of her mind. But with Bucky, she felt like she had to do something.

As she flipped through the folder, a certain page caught her eye. An image of what looked like a notebook. It was a dirty red color, with a dark star embossed on the front. Another picture showed a page of the notebook, covered in cramped, crude russian. Ali couldn't make out the list of words, but was intrigued nonetheless.

With nothing else in the folder, Ali turned her attention to the monitor in front of her. She looked through more photos and security footage. One particular video caught her eye. She clicked on it and leaned back into her chair. Bucky was clamped in a chair, the lights flickering. He was shirtless, and a shrimpy HYDRA agent was busy attaching Bucky's vibranium arm to his shoulder. Strucker walked in quickly, carrying the red notebook that Ali had seen in the photograph. He was flanked by two bodyguards, both heavily armed. As Strucker opened up the notebook, the small agent backed away from Bucky and stood next to one of the bodyguards. With this, another man, this one in a doctor's coat, came into the room.

Strucker was the first to speak, "Мистер Барнс, вы готовы начать? Mr. Barnes, are you ready to begin?". Bucky gave no response, merely focused his gaze on a spot on the cold cement floor. At the lack of response, Strucker turned his attention to the doctor. " When was he last wiped?" The doctor was quick to respond, "Just yesterday sir, he should be okay still.". Strucker nodded curtly, "Good. Well then, let's begin." He took a step towards the metal chair in which Bucky was seated. Ali gripped the arm of her chair, worried as to what would happen. Reading from the little notebook, Strucker began to circle the chair.

"Тоска, ржавая, Longing, rusted," Bucky tensed up, "No, don't", he said, his voice straining. Strucker, however, didn't stop. "печь, рассвет, семнадцать, Furnace, daybreak, seventeen." Bucky cried out, "please stop, don't do this." He was straining against the chair he was in, the metal bonds cutting into his skin. "доброкачественный, девять, benign, nine", Strucker continued. Bucky's screams continued, and Ali gripped her chair, horrified. "Возвращение домой, один Homecoming, one", the other agents in the room grew rigid as Bucky continued to yell and attempt to break free of his bonds. "Грузовой вагон Freight car", Strucker finished and the room fell silent. As Bucky's cries ceased, his head dropped and Ali let out a gasp.

Strucker turned his attention to the other soldiers in the room. "Behold the Winter Soldier! HYDRA's greatest invention." The doctor next to Strucker was actively grinning. "I-I I had no idea", he stuttered, "The serum, a work of genius!" Strucker showed no acknowledgement of what the man had said. Looking back at Bucky, he unlocked the shackles and spoke in a low tone "Kill these men, they have seen enough" With a sneer he looked upon the men's terrified faces. "B-b-but sir..." the doctor fell to the floor trembling, "there must be a mistake." Once again, Strucker turned away coldly as Bucky rose to his feet.

Ali's heart froze, "no, Bucky no" she whispered, knowing what was going to happen. Her eyes watered as she watched the man she thought she knew attack HYDRA agents, leaving their bodies on the floor. Strucker strode out of the room, beckoning Bucky to follow him. He gave one fleeting look at the security camera, his steel blue eyes looking straight at Ali, before hurling one of the fallen soldier's guns at the camera. With this, the screen went black, leaving Ali in a petrified silence.

Trembling, she got up from her chair. Taking the file from the table, she blindly walked back to her cell. Blankly, she sat down on her crude bed, drawing her knees up under her chin. Silently crying, she tried to calm her racing heart, and slow the swimming thoughts in her head. Why hadn't he told her about this? What made those words turn him like that? Ali couldn't imagine the man who had lived in her cell for a week to take out or kill anyone on his own will, not even HYDRA agents.

In comparison, she knew that she would kill for HYDRA. She had no choice, no more than he did. But Ali had less courage than Bucky did. He would stand up for what he believed in, even if that meant contradicting his orders. Unlike Ali, who was generally too scared to do anything against HYDRA. So what about those words made him listen to Strucker, and do what

Ali tried to assure herself that this wasn't his fault, and resolved to write in her journal, a way to calm her nerves. As she hurriedly grabbed her notebook and a stub of a pencil, she rubbed vigorously at her eyes, trying to clear them. In her frenzy, the tattered notebook fell from her hands, landing open on the most recent entry, covered in Bucky's cramped yet steady writing. With all my love, he had written. But did he mean it? Rereading his letter yet again, Ali made her way back to her bed. She pressed her journal hard to her chest, pressing the cold metal tags that Bucky had given her into her sternum. Breathing heavily, she laid down on the limp bed. Tomorrow, she would have work to do.