2008 | HYDRA FACILITY — If you cut off one head, two new ones will grow back. Today was the very first time the young boy was allowed to enter their hiding place and he was already waiting for his mentor, Agent Brock Rumlow, who had recruited him. After he got in, he then showed him the halls and the dark secrets that were hidden down here.
As soon as they met the dark gate with the huge blood-red skull, with the tentacles sticking out of it, he opened the heavy door and revealed a dark-lit laboratory. A dark-clad, bald man in a monocle came up to both of them and raised an eyebrow, when he the new guy. He eyed him carefully. He was a true legend in HYDRA circles ... a genius, the boy remarked with adoration. And his name was Baron Wolfgang von Strucker.
"Who do we have here, Agent Rumlow?" He asked, sounding extremely suspicious. He was an unpredictable man, but so was I. "My name is Agent Grant Ward, sir." the boy said, trying to stare firmly and convincingly into his eyes. "He will help me take care of Barnes and Siren." Rumlow explained and only now the boy found out about his job.
Strucker nodded and motioned the two to follow him through the huge laboratory. No matter where he looked there were scientists or agents who wore the red HYDRA symbol with a huge amount of pride on their clothes, and the room was tinkered with various devices or computers, which truly impressed him. They had the absolute control over what was going on out there and yet remained undiscovered for decades, he remarked amazed.
His hands grew colder the deeper he followed the older men. Eventually he realized why the room was getting colder and colder, when he found a man locked in some sort of cell, surrounded by glass. With awe he looked through the frozen window and saw a dark-haired man with a metal arm, who looked like he was sleeping – or rather unconscious. "This is Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes." Strucker declared in a German accent, looking proudly at their deadly weapon of destruction. "In 1940, he fought Red Skull alongside Captain America, but fell off a moving train on a mission into his death. " He paused and snorted in amusement. "Well, almost death. We found him covered in snow and saved what was left of him. Since then he's been our loyal soldier when we need him. In the last 50 years alone he has been responsible for over two dozen attacks." he said proudly.
"The Winter Soldier?" Ward asked.
"Yes indeed. For many he is nothing more than a deadly ghost story. For us he's our secret weapon." The man answered and went to the next HYDRA experiment. Agent Ward stared confusedly through another pane of glass, only to see a girl with a tail who was swimming around in the water. Strucker knocked several times against her window and drew her attention to them, her eyes finding the boys, carrying hope and fear with them. Everyday there was always a little hope inside of her...
"Here we have our little swimmer. She is still only doing our underwater missions or looking for treasure, but soon she will be able to bring armies to their knees." Said Strucker, turning his gaze back to us. "She was the eldest daughter of a German scientist named Dr. Erskine, the one to hand over the famous Super Soldier Serum to Johann Schmidt. When Erskine and his family were traveling to Brooklyn on a ship, HYDRA attacked the ship on Schmidt's orders one evening.The girl fell overboard and was already unconscious from the explosion ... she sank deeper and deeper until Schmidt decided to take her with him when he saw her through the window of the submarine." Strucker continued to explain. "Erskine didn't think his daughter was dead, which is why he gave Captain America the serum, in the Hope he would bring his daughter back to him." Rumlow scoffed. „At the same time, HYDRA created their own serum containing multiple sea-substances and fish DNA. " Strucker continued explaining.
"A mermaid?" the boy asked curious. She was a truly unique beauty like the ones in the mystical legends or fairytales even ... something special ... and extremely innocent.
"She's a pretty little thing, isn't she?" his mentor grinned mischievously. He then got a glare from Strucker. "That pretty little thing could shatter your skulls with her voice, if she concentrates enough, Agent Rumlow." Strucker objected and let shivers run down their spines. "This is the Age of Miracles, gentlemen."
2016 | AVENGERS COMPOUND — Sam, Steve and Bucky sat together in the living room talking a little and laughing together. After a while, Bucky stared out the huge window when his eyes fell on the lake. He found little Ariel sitting all alone on the stones while she dangled her legs in the blue water. He apologized to his friends for a moment and made his way downstairs over to her – alone.
He found the redhead thoughtful and still sitting on the wall. He approached her very slowly and ignored everything around him. "You okay?" He asked softly, but she didn't turn around, nor dared to look into his eyes. Instead, she just nodded and wanted him not to worry about her any more.
Unsuccessful though, Bucky approached the young Woman once more and sat down next to her. He exhaled deeply for a moment before trying to talk to her again. "Something is bothering you..." After a long pause, Ariel lifted her head in defeat and continued to stare at the water in front of them. Her gaze avoided his, however, fearing he'd see the pain in her blue eyes. "Do you still remember it?" She asked, her voice almost a whisper, as she nervously fiddled with her fingers in her lap. "A little..." The former Winter Soldier admitted, his expression turning sad now as well.
"Who are you?"
"LEAVE HER ALONE!!!"
"Why are they doing this to us?"
"I'm a killer ...
nothing more."
"What did they do to you again?"
"Are you real?"
"I'm scared. I want to go home
... home to my family."
"waiting for orders."
"Ready for mission."
"Why are you so nice to me?"
"Do you remember anything?"
"who did this to you?"
"can you tell me a story?"
"You remind me of a friend I had.
he would've liked you."
"I don't know what's real anymore.
I can't even remember my name..."
"They're coming for us!"
"Please, James. Please... kill me.
I don't want to live on like this."
"Stay where you are!
I'm covering your back."
"I'm a monster."
"Steve...?"
"AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!"
"You deserve all the happiness
in the world, little friend."
"You're a good man, James.
And I promise you, we'll make it
out of here someday... together."
"He is gone?"
I'm alone now.
"I hope your happier, my friend..."
"Sometimes I see them in my dreams." Ariel exhaled as a small watery tear ran down her cheek. "Me too." Bucky admitted honestly. "I- I hear their voices ... I can feel the- the electric shocks ... I see you sometimes, too." She said, forcing herself to look up at him, like they did when they were seeing each other at the Hydra-base.
His gaze landed on her watery eyes that stared at his with sorrow. "They made me a monster." she said, holding up the back of her hand to reveal the blue scales. She didn't even need to lift up her feet, that where dangling in the water, for him to see that they also were having the familiar pattern. They reminded her, that she will always be what HYDRA created – a monster.
Bucky faintly remembered those words. She once said this sentence after a mission on which the Winter Soldier and the Siren were sent together. "Not all monsters do monstrous things, Ariel." He tried to calm her. The winter soldier was responsible for 24 assassinations in the last few decades. He was unsure whether she had ever killed anyone, he at least couldn't picture her doing it ... but he was sure, that she wasn't a bad person. She was a good person, who bad things have happened to. Just like himself. „You shouldn't be so hard on yourself." He reassured her.
"Maybe." She replied, though not particularly convinced. She exhaled and gave her old partner a faint, thankful smile. "Thank you ... Bucky." It was new to her to call him Bucky instead of James. Both were free from HYDRA, so why still use the old names? Bucky returned her smile and took a quick breath in and out, before putting his arm around her. Ariel could feel his cold metal fingers, the ones touching her arm, but by no means shuddered at the feeling. Instead, she felt warmth, a sense of security.
They often sat like this in the HYDRA base, they just don't remember. The sad part though, was that the soldiers hands were mostly covered in blood, while the sirens eyes were filled with salty tears. Maybe one day, the bad memories will fade, while all of the good one's return, when they're ready...
After a while, Sam and Steve finally came down to the two of them because Bucky never came back. Ariel turned to the two of them with her reddened eyes and immediately turned back to avoid their looks. "Everything, okay?" Steve asked deeply worried. Arielle nodded, but didn't dare look in his direction. He already knew why she was probably sad. Every hero had moments of weakness...
But in his eyes she was a fighter.
A survivor.
And to him, she was so incredibly strong. Steve truly wished Ariel could see herself through his eyes.
"Come on, we should go back inside." Bucky said softly. He got up carefully from her and approached the boys. She then jumped down the wall and took a few steps towards the others. She tried to carry her legs further, but it was once again still difficult for her. Steve saw her struggle and immediately offered her his arm with a smile. It might have been just a small gesture, but it definitely brought a shy smile and a tint of pink back on her face.
Perhaps neither of them realized it yet, but Steve Rogers was like an anchor who, in his own way, gave Ariel some kind of security and support.