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A significant amount of time passed and Rosemary started pacing back and forth across the room, worried. The alarm was still going, sounding like it was getting louder, and there had been no sign of Steve or Bucky. She couldn't read any specific thoughts, but she could feel worry and concern almost vibrating through the building.
Finally, her door beeped open and someone stepped inside it. It wasn't, though, at all who she'd been expecting. Nick Fury stood in front of her, panting. He was bleeding from his nose and his thoughts were a jumble of annoyance and concern.
"Did Steve tell you who we brought in today?" he asked her, regarding her in a serious way. She nodded. "They activated Barnes and he let them go. I don't even know how they managed it; there were three guards in the room. But somehow, they did. I need your help, Rosemary," he told her, and she stood, nodding. "You're the only one that has a chance at taking him down," he said, and she nodded again.
"I don't... I don't know how, though," she said, shaking her head. Sure, they'd all told her about the ridiculous amount of strength, agility, and speed she supposedly possessed, but the only time she'd used it was on humans who were much less strong than the Winter Soldier himself.
"Wing it. Hell, you might not even have to fight him. Just being there might be enough. But if he does fight you, go for the head. A good knock to the skull is what will bring him back to reality. You're stronger than him, Rosemary. He might be a more skilled fighter, but you're stronger. Just get him back before he kills everyone in the building, okay?" he asked her, stepping towards the door. She nodded, watching as he typed in the code and stepped into the hallway. She followed him slowly, not used to being able to freely walk around.
"Floor twelve," he told her, motioning towards the elevator. She nodded again, stepping towards it.
She watched him as the doors closed, taking a deep breath. As soon as the doors opened again, she stepped into the chaos. Bucky and Steve were engaged in combat on one end of the hallway, seemingly getting a pretty even amount of licks on one another, and the rest of the floor seemed to be in complete disarray. Chairs and desks were tossed everywhere and papers, books, and folders littered the floor.
"Hey!" she yelled in Bucky and Steve's direction taking a deep breath and pushing it out slowly. She stood up as straight as she possibly could, outfitting herself with the most serious face she could manage.
She quickly realized that the Winter Soldier's thoughts upon looking at her were wildly different than Bucky Barnes' thoughts upon looking at her. His thoughts were just single words: 'mission', 'fight', 'kill', and upon seeing her: 'confused'. He stared at her, giving Steve enough time to punch him square in the jaw, distracting him even further for a just a moment.
She moved to them in a flash, taking hold of Bucky's shoulders and looking in him in the eye. He stared at her for a moment and then kicked her leg out from under her.
Her temper flared and she stood, tackling him. He stumbled backwards, doing his best to get her off of him. Despite his attempts, she was able to wrap her arms around his neck, pulling herself so close to him that he couldn't really get her at all. He kept fighting, and she was surprised to find out that apparently, she was stronger than him. She pinned his arms at his sides, having to hold the metal one down just slightly harder.
"Bucky, you can make this easy. Just come back and I won't have to do this," she said, and he looked at her, his mind empty and eyes blank. He continued to fight, obviously not used to anyone being stronger than him.
She pushed him backwards, keeping his arms pinned. He grunted, straining. They reached the wall behind him and she looked at him again, pleading clear in her eyes.
"Please don't make me do this, Buck," she mumbled, but it was no use. He continued to strain against her and his eyes stayed empty. "Fine, just don't be mad when you wake up," she told him, and a confusion washed over his face and thoughts just momentarily.
She let go of his flesh arm, not surprised at all when he immediately started punching her in the stomach with it. He watched as she reached up, putting her hand on his head.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly, moving his head forward and then smashing it backwards into the wall behind him as hard as she possibly could. He fell unconscious right away, slumping to the floor.
"Jesus," Steve said from somewhere behind her, and she shot him a look.
"What? Fury said to go for his head," she said, shrugging. Steve tried to hold back a smirk but couldn't quite manage it.
"I guess you really are stronger than him," he said, picking Bucky up and throwing him over his shoulder.
"I guess I am," she said reluctantly, not sure she was as pleased with that fact as Steve sounded like he was.
They took Bucky back to her cell and she sat with him while Steve went off to have a meeting with Fury. He jolted awake a while later and Rosemary reached for him, putting a hand on his flesh arm. He looked at her, blinking hard.
"What happened?" he asked, reaching up and rubbing his head.
"They activated you and you let them out," she said quietly, knowing he was going to be upset with himself.
"Fuck," he mumbled, closing his eyes tightly for a few moments and then looking back up at her. "You stopped me?" he asked, and she nodded.
"Yeah. It wasn't even... hard, actually. Apparently I'm just as strong as Fury said I was. No wonder he was so wary of me," she said, sounding small.
"Why do you sound so disappointed about that?" he asked her, and she shrugged.
"It kind of scares me, to be honest," she told him, and he squeezed her hand between both of his.
"As soon as you get your memories back, we'll start training and help you figure out how to control it," he told her, and she nodded, looking at the intercom across from them as it beeped and Steve's voice floated through it.
"Rosie?" he questioned, and she got up and answered him.
"I'm here."
"Is he awake?"
"Yeah, just now."
"Fury wants to see both of you down here. No restraints for you necessary."
She and Bucky exchanged a look and he smiled encouragingly.
"See? That's already progress," he told her, taking her hand and leading her out the door.
