The Myth Of The Winter's Child

Chapter 26

2014

The soldier was sitting in the chair with Cassidy in his lab. There was a scientist beside him fixing his arm. Sparks was jumping and flying off the soldier's arm, he sat perfectly still looking into the wall in front of him, Cassidy was sitting tugged under his chin.

Cassidy closed her eyes, images appeared of a man she had never seen before. He had round glasses sitting on the bridge on his nose. His lips were moving but she couldn't hear what he was saying, it was foggy around him. It was only the man in focus.

Everything went dark and she could hear Steve yell "Bucky no!" an arm was reaching for her but she couldn't reach it. It was too far away from her. She had the feeling she was falling, shivers crawled up her spine. She grasped when the soldier hit the scientist and flew across the room.

His human arm was crushing Cassidy. The soldier twitched, his whole body was on fire. Cassidy clawed at his hand trying to get away, she felt trapped. She whined and tears slipped down her rosy cheeks. Guns were pointed at them, but Cassidy was too focused on trying to get out that she didn't notice.

Pierce walked over to them, he grabbed a chair and sat in front of the soldier. "Soldier let her go" Pierce ordered, watching the little girl struggle to pull her out from underneath the soldier's arm. The soldier lifted his arm slowly and Cassidy crawled down the chair and took a deep breath.

"Mission report now" Pierce ordered, the soldier didn't react to what he was saying. He kept seeing the man on the bridge, his voice, the eyes and the hair. It all reminded him of something but he couldn't remember what. It frustrated him.

Pierce slapped him across his face, the sound of the slap echoed in the room. Cassidy was breathing deeply, finally feeling her lungs getting filled with air. "Mission report now" Pierce raised his voice. It seemed to finally snap the soldier out "The man of the bridge. Who was he?" Cassidy almost gasped when she heard him asking a question.

He had never done that. Always answering the question to perfection, always going to extreme length to satisfy his handlers.

"You met him earlier this week. On a different mission" Pierce started to get nervous, if he is starting to remember it would be crucial for the future of HYDRA.

"I knew him" The soldier sounded so unsure of himself, but he knew he had seen that face before. But maybe his handler is right, maybe he just saw him from a past mission and never knew him.

"Your work has been a gift to mankind. You two have shaped the century, and I need the both of you to do it one more time. Society if at a tipping point between order and chaos. And tomorrow we're going to give it a push. But if you don't do your part I can't do mine" Pierce stood up and looked over to Cassidy " And you my sweet girl, have helped me see a clear picture of what this can become. You probably know who I am now, I have changed since you saw me last. But you have helped other leaders of this organization to see a clear picture and what can become of it"

"But I knew him" The soldier smiled sadly, he didn't want to help anymore, but he knew he had to. Cassidy shivered. She remembers him now, she helped create Pierce into who he is today.

"Prep him. He has been out of cryo freeze for too long" The soldier had a heartbreaking expression on his face when he heard the two words. Cassidy was quick to run over to him and hold onto his legs as if some sort of support.

--

"He is gonna be there you know" Sam approached Steve on the bridge where they were hiding until their mission "I know" Steve signed, Bucky didn't look like himself, all life was taken out of him, his eyes were hollow. There was nothing of the Bucky he knew left, but when he said his name the blue in his eyes lit up slightly. He knew the word. Steve knew he could save him, he had to save him and that little girl.