Avengers High School - Winter Soldier

50 - Overworked and Over It

A/N - This chapter and the next 1-2 are going to be pretty long, I have a bunch of random ideas and I just want to get them all out!

It had been weeks. Or months? Bucky couldn't tell anymore.

Every day consisted of training or lying in the science labs or Room T. Some nights, he wouldn't even go back to the cell, and Natasha would be left alone and cold. Wondering, waiting.

At this point, Bucky hadn't been back for nearly 24 hours. He was pulled away the morning before by eager guards and Natasha waited through the dark night for him, drifting in and out of sleep, but he never came. Now, it was the next morning and she'd just eaten her apple and washed her face. As the days dragged on she had made this her morning routine to keep her sane.

Other times Bucky had been away overnight he was escorted back with the scientists. They seemed to have kept him to monitor him. This time though she had heard multiple screams over long hours, before they abruptly cut off and a chilling silence took over.

Natasha was growing worried. What if they put him in cryo?

Her thoughts halted as she heard footsteps. The shuffling of feet. Heels clicking. She prepared herself for whatever state she was about to see Bucky in, standing to her full height, body tense.

The brunet rounded the corner with his head down, hair hanging around his face, a vacant look in his eyes. He was limping.

Madame Hydra had her arm snaked low down his bare back and around his waist, her sharp nails dug into his side. Despite the heavy training, he had lost weight and the cargo pants hung low on his hips so that the Madame could drum her nails low against his hip bone, reminding him of both her presence and control.

She steered the teen into the cell and Natasha could feel the smugness radiating off of her. Bucky glanced up to Natasha before his gaze drifted.

"Training has been going somewhat well," the Madame said sharply, bringing her other hand around to drum her nails against Bucky's abdomen. He tensed, grimacing, his eyes a painting of pain as they glared at the ground.

Anger and disgust pooled in Natasha's gut. "Get your hands off of him," she said coldly.

The Madame's face dropped and she glared at the redhead. Natasha held her gaze.

Their staring contest was interrupted when Bucky suddenly lost balance and tilted forward. Madame Hydra grasped his shoulders to stop him from falling.

"You failed training, Soldat," she said through gritted teeth. "You collapsed, I don't want that to happen again. The Asset does not fail."

"Of course he's going to collapse!" Natasha cried angrily. "He's exhausted!"

The Madame grabbed his chin and shook his head. "The Fist of Hydra can't be tired," she in a mockingly childish voice.

"Don't touch him!" Natasha suddenly lunged forward.

The Madame pulled a gun from her belt, aiming it at Natasha. She froze.

Bucky quickly pulled himself from the Madame's grasp, waking from his daze, and stumbled away from her. He shot the Madame a murderous glare and stood in front of Natasha.

If it weren't for the state he was in, Natasha would have grabbed his arm to hold him back, what with the look he was giving the Madame. Natasha could see the indents of her nails still on his body. She felt nauseous. As much as she wanted him to fight back, she knew they didn't stand a chance against all of Hydra. Winter Soldier or not, Bucky was in no shape, right now at least with all the experiments and 'punishments', to take over the place.