Different as Night and Day (Winterfalcon)

Old Ties, Broken Binds (part 1)

Bucky's POV
"Handler Zero..."

The name pinballed in my head. The static rose, drowning out all my other thoughts. I remembered.

The electricity crackling. The wiping process. The extra torture. The missing meals and food. Siberia.

Handler Zero was my first Handler. My first true Handler. He gave me my first mission.

To kill my family.

He used the words, made sure the programming was flaw proof. For months he tortured and beat me until I truly became the Asset. Learning to kill with no remorse. To complete the mission. To dread the chair. To fear. To cower.

I didn't hear Sam calling my name. I only registered the new-found fiery white hot rage in my core. It's flames licked at my rib cage, begging to burn everything in sight.

I tore down the hallway. Another thing Handler Zero had beat into me, to walk or run without making noise. I had to walk on glass for hours, learn to not make a single sound.

His cell was small. That psychopathic grin greeted me. The HYDRA uniform was still the same as it used to be. The dark clothes, the red label.

All too familiar.

He smirked, recognizing me immediately. His thick Russian cut through the static, simply clearing the way and fueling my rage.

"So the Winter Soldier really is alive. You failed. The Captain and his friends are also alive. You should've killed yourself. Maybe it would balance out all the failures you've had."

There was a wall of thick glass between us.

"J. A. R. V. I. S. open the door. Let me in. Lock it behind me." I growled. My voice was shaking, filled with the barely held back anger held in my sternum.

He opened it without question. It closed behind us as I stepped into the small cell. White walls, a table, that was it. He was chained to the table by handcuffs, a metal chair was his cursed throne.

"I am not the Winter Soldier-"

"Lies.  You will always be The Asset. You belong to HYDRA. Tell me Winter Soldier...do you still walk or run with no sound? Do you still stand at attention? Do you respond to the code words just like old times? Are you still comfortable in the cold? Do you still adapt to any situation given?" The Handler listed off my habits. And it dawned on me. All of that was HYDRA's doing. Every habit I have is because of them.

"The most important thing though. Tell me this Soldier. Do you cry at night? Do you remember every single mission?" Handler Zero raised his hand pretending to hit me and I flinched instinctively. "Ha. You still flinch, waiting for punishment for your failure. No no none of this matters, truly."He laughed, sitting back as far as the handcuffs would allow him.

"The real question is. Tell me one thing Soldier...do you still see little Becca's face in your dreams? All of your siblings?" My hands were shaking. Everything in my whole body was on fire as my heart raced. I could see her face, asking the cold emotionless man holding a gun to her head was her brother.

"Stop." It wasn't begging or pleading. I was giving him a warning.

"Do you still hear your mother and your father's screams? " Screams echoed in my head. Begging their son to stop.

"Really...You should thank me. Your first mission will always be your first flawless success-"

Suddenly I was across the room, my metal hand clenching the man's throat throwing him against the wall. He let out a strangled laugh that sounded more like a gurgle.

"Don't you dare even speak their names. You tortured me. You beat me. I may be a monster but that's because you made me this way. I will never belong to HYDRA again. Now you will tell me everything about the remaining Agents HYDRA has."

I heard banging and glanced to see Sam and Nat banging on the walls. Tony and Steve were fiddling with the cell's controls trying to get in.

"Ha. You can not scare me. You have nothing to hold against me."

I stared at him. The blazing fiery anger in my chest cooled, forming a hard lump that fell to my stomach. A dark rage rose and the words shot from my lips like a bullet through a silencer.

"That's where you're wrong. You may not fear death but I know what you do fear. Because HYDRA beat it into you too. Failure. What's gonna happen, is if you don't tell me what I want to know, you are going to go to prison. More than likely, the upper HYDRA Agents who have been captured will be there. And what do you think is gonna happen if a minion like you walks in there and they find out you failed."

His eyes widened in fear. He started to struggle as I squeezed, his windpipe an ounce of pressure away from being crushed.

Handler Zero let the words spill out as he thought of his possible failure.

"There's the main base still in Siberia. The last of the HYDRA superiors are there along with all our remaining forces. They gave me the only team they could spare. If we got you back we could build our resources back. Please I can't fail. I can't. Let me die now. If that's my future than just let me die."

I stared into his eyes. The eyes that had tortured and beaten me mercilessly. The eyes that had laughed and light up with joy while I was wiped. The eyes The Asset had striven to please for so so long.

"Death would be a kindness. Mercy. HYDRA had neither. And you gave me neither. Choose what to do. I don't care anymore." I squeezed one last time, damaging his wind-pipe no doubt, but just enough so he could still breathe. Handler Zero fell to the floor and I walked away.

I was still speaking Russian when I walked out. HYDRA had taught me many many languages. I had spoken Russian so long that it was more familiar than English sometimes. "J. A. R. V. I. S. open the door."

The robot opened the door as Tony and Steve rushed in. Helping the gasping HYDRA Agent up. Nat and Sam gave me room as I kept walking. Where I was going I didn't know. But I stopped before I reached the door. It was still dark outside, the moon still overruled the sun.

Rain pattered down from the sky. It was calming. I just needed to breathe.

I knew Nat would understand so I opened the door leaving with a single reply.

"Ask J. A. R. V. I. S. for the security footage. He can translate. I can explain later but I will take down HYDRA. Once and for all. I'm asking for your help but if needed I will go alone."

With that I went out into the rain. Letting the cold cool the flaming muscle trapped in my rib cage. 

A/N: Heyyy wonderful readers just the dumb author here. I don't rlly know what this is but lmk if you have suggestions, feedback, or comments. Vote and all that plz. It means so much that you guys are still reading and I hope you still like the story!! 🖤💖🖤