Topaz knew exactly where they needed to go, and so did Winter. The only problem was how to get to the bank unseen. Getting away from the fight with Cap and Widow hadn't been a problem, considering all the commotion that had been going on. But moving unseen through the streets of Washington as a soldier with a metal arm and an assassin, wasn't an easy feat.
So, they kept to the back alleys, sneaking their way through the city. She had expected Winter to at least scold her for her mistake of leaving the Black Widow alive, but she was surprised. He didn't say a word about it. His face held a blank expression, his blue eyes staring forwards, but not really taking in the environment.
Down in the vault of the bank, the scientists immediately sat Winter down and got to work on his arm. It appeared that the fight with the Captain hadn't gone as smoothly as they had hoped. And the arm had sustained some damage that needed to be fixed.
Topaz was set across from Winter on a spindle-legged chair, intently watching as the scientists welded something together inside of the metal arm. She had managed to come out of the fight mainly unharmed, only a couple of cuts and bruises that would heal perfectly fine on their own.
She couldn't stop thinking about the name that the Widow had uttered. Keira. It meant something, she felt it in her bones, but for the love of God, she couldn't figure out why. And judging from the distant look in Winter's eyes, it seemed like he also was taking a trip down memory lane, something about Cap had triggered something within him. She noticed how his muscles tensed for just a second, but the scientists working on his arm didn't notice a thing.
Then, he snapped.
He punched one of the scientists roughly to the floor, the other flying up from his chair to check on his colleague. The remaining agents immediately aimed their guns at him, in case he made another move.
His fists were clenched and his face was pulled in a grimace. The thin layer of sweat covering his body glistened in the yellowish light and his naked chest was rising and falling at an increasingly racing pace. Whatever it was that he had seen in his head, it clearly agitated him.
The agents all around were tense, their guns still aiming strictly at the soldier's chest. Just before it felt like it was about to go down, Pierce entered the vault. He casually took his glasses off and raised his hands into the air, signaling for the men to put the guns down.
And who was following in Pierce's footsteps if not the leader of STRIKE, Brock Rumlow? Had HYDRA infiltrated every part of SHIELD?
As the vault door was closed shut by one of the agents, Pierce stopped in front of the soldier and slid his glasses down into his inside pocket. "Mission report." He demanded, watching Winter with wary eyes. But the soldier still seemed to be stuck in his own head, because he didn't answer. "Mission report now." Pierce demanded again, his tone more firm this time.
Topaz stayed silent, just watching the interaction since she wasn't being spoken to.
Pierce stepped closer and leaned down, his hands on his knees as he tried to make eye contact with Winter, who just stared out into space. Not liking to be ignored, Pierce backhanded him across the face, causing her to flinch.
It seemed like the slap caused Winter to return to this reality. A confused frown settled on his face as he turned his head towards Pierce. "The man on the bridge... Who was he?" He said slowly, his gaze on the man in front of him. Ah, so Cap was familiar to him, just as Widow was to her.
Pierce, still bent over, decided to answer the question, to Topaz's great surprise. "You met him earlier this week on another assignment."
Winter's eyes flickered downwards, his brain working furiously to piece the puzzle together. "I knew him."
Pierce pressed his lips together as he shuffled the chair underneath him that the scientist had been sitting on earlier. The confusion practically radiated off Winter's face, his posture slouching slightly. In what seemed to be a poor attempt to comfort the soldier, Pierce began to speak. "Your work has been a gift to mankind. You shaped the century. And I need you to do it one more time. Society is at a tipping point between order and chaos. And tomorrow morning, we're gonna give it a push. But, if you don't do your part, I can't do mine."
Topaz glanced at Rumlow, who was staring intently at the soldier. Something malevolent glinted behind his eyes, and she couldn't help but feel that something big was about to happen.
"And HYDRA can't give the world the freedom it deserves." Pierce finished off, watching as Winter finally lifted his gaze and made eye contact again.
"But I knew him."
Pierce sighed deeply through his nose before rising from the chair. "Prep him." He ordered the scientists, who all had been watching the interaction with interest.
"He's been out of cryo freeze too long." One of the scientists protested weakly.
"Then wipe him and start over."
It was as though Winter wasn't even a person to Pierce. He was just a thing, a weapon that HYDRA could use when they saw fit. Not a man with his own feelings and thoughts. No, he was a means to an end. A tool.
Topaz could see the memories fighting behind those blue eyes, but as the scientists pushed Winter back in the chair, he didn't protest. She wasn't sure what the machine he was sitting in was supposed to do. From the vague memories she could recall from their last mission, he was controlled with words, so what was the machine supposed to do?
One of the scientists pulled out a mouth guard, which judging from the look on Winter's face, he accepted with a bit of reluctance. The machine then clamped down around his muscly arms and his breathing sped up immediately, almost as though he knew what the machine was about to do.
Another piece of the machine whirred, rotating down and she just managed to catch the sparks flaring from it before it sunk down and placed itself over the man's face. Now, it became clear why his breathing had become labored upon getting pushed down in the chair. Winter tried to scream, but it became muffled because of the mouthguard between his teeth as the electricity crackled through the faceplates and into his body.
"Stop! You're hurting him!" Topaz snarled, rising from her seat so fast that the chair fell over. She covered the room in three big steps and began to tug at the restraints around Winter's arms, but they were too tightly bound for her to squeeze her fingers under.
Pierce had been in the middle of turning around, to leave the scene behind him but he stopped at the woman's sudden launch. His mouth hung agape for just a moment before his face contorted into a frown. "Topaz, stop." It was as though he had forgotten about her presence in the room, along with the other men, their eyes wide as they watched her.
At the order, her movements stopped immediately, as though frozen. In front of her, Winter was still screaming due to the electricity still running through his veins. Topaz met Pierce's cold eyes steadily, her back straight as her attempts to free Winter had seized.
"Maybe you can give me a mission report since the Soldier failed to do so." Pierce turned towards her and nodded towards the corner where the chair still lay on its side. It wasn't so much of a suggestion, but rather an order.
But just like Winter, Topaz had questions of her own. "Black Widow. She knew me. She called me a name. Why?" She questioned, picking the chair back up and placing herself on it once again.
Pierce closed his eyes, his lips pressing together as he sighed deeply through his nose. He was beginning to grow tired of being contradicted by his subjects. "Why are none of them obeying orders?" He asked the room at large, annoyance lacing his voice as he threw his hands up in exasperation.
One of the scientists scrambled forwards, a notebook in his hands. "Upon seeing familiar faces, it's not uncommon for the neocortex and the prefrontal cortex to reignite old memories. With the old memories, or rather, glimpses of them, resurfacing, the subjects become confused. Their orders and their previous selves are literally fighting for control." He explained, pointing down at some of his notes, where different parts of the brain were highlighted.
"Wipe her as well then. I don't need another failed attempt at the Widow's life. I don't want her harmed, I want her dead. Along with the Captain." Pierce ordered as he turned around without as much as a backwards glance towards the blonde woman in the corner.
Topaz rose from her chair, her hands outstretched against the agents now treading towards her. "No, you can't do that. Dr. Krieger is in charge of me. Not you, not these men." She protested just as her back hit the wall. That some of her memories had been wiped from her memories before, wasn't a secret to her. Like her obvious time together with Black Widow. But this sounded way more serious.
Pierce glanced at the soldier, who had gone silent by now. "Oh, Krieger has been assigned new subjects to take care of, so she's no longer in charge of you. I am. So, take your place in the chair, Topaz. Time to experience a new era." He said, a malicious grin playing on his lips.
Over by the machine, one of the scientists was releasing Winter, the clasps around his bulging muscles opening with a low click. Before allowing the soldier to stand up however, the scientist said a few Russian words. Winter's jaw clenched, the blue eyes becoming colder with every passing second.
"Готовы подчиниться, Зимний солдат?" (Ready to comply, Winter Soldier?) The scientist asked, watching the Soldier intently for any signs of his old self.
"Готовы подчиниться." (Ready to comply.) Winter responded in a dull voice before pushing himself up from the chair.
Topaz trudged over to the machine, unable to refuse a direct order. She glanced at Winter, who just watched her with cold eyes, his mouth clamped shut. Once again, she was a stranger to him.
She eyed the machine warily before hesitantly lowering herself down and placing her arms on the armrests. The metal restraints immediately trapped her to the chair, adjusting to her size as her arms were nowhere near as massive as Winter's.
The air got caught in her throat as her heart began to hammer inside her chest. It was weird, the back of her mind was screaming at her to get up, to run away from this. But the robot in the back of her mind kept her body still, drowning out that little voice of sanity.
Electroshocks weren't unfamiliar to her, as it was a common punishment within HYDRA. Her hands balled into fists, preparing for the pain as the faceplates sparked malevolently above her before engulfing her face.
At the last moment, one of the scientists showed her the mouthguard, and she opened her mouth obligingly. Crushing her teeth was not something she fancied doing as the human body could exhibit exceptional strength while under pressure.
It felt as though her veins were on fire when the electricity pulsed through her. The screams left her throat involuntary, and she bit down on the mouthguard hard to suffocate them. Black spots began to pop up in her field of vision, and she tried to jerk her head away from the faceplates, but it was no use. She was tied down, unable to move even an inch.
Through the blinding pain, a faint voice could be heard.
"Сделайте глубокий вдох. Успокойте свой разум. знаешь, что лучше всего. Что лучше всего если вы подчиниться." (Take a deep breath. Calm your mind. You know what is best. What's best is you comply.) As the words were spoken, it felt like a mist drifted over her mind. The waves of pain from the electricity seemed to lessen, and the black spots in her vision seemed to fade. Her old memories, if that's what they were, washed away as if a gentle wave overtook them, drifting off into the sea. "Соблюдение будет вознаграждено. Готовы ли вы подчиниться? (Compliance will be rewarded. Are you ready to comply?)
The shocks stopped completely, and her muscles stopped twitching. Only her hands were still shaking. Her breathing had calmed down, her heart beating steadily in her chest. Her surroundings were slightly burred, as though she was watching the scene from underwater.
"Готовы подчиниться?" (Ready to comply?) The voice asked again.
"Да." (Yes.)
❆
"And how was your flight?" Pierce asked politely as he and the councilmembers from the World Security Council made their way through the lobby of the Triskelion.
Small talk like this always made Topaz frustrated. It wasn't like anyone truly cared about the answer, but they merely asked out of courtesy. And asking something just for the sake of it was just a waste of time according to her.
"Lovely. The ride from the airport, less so." Councilwoman Hawley responded pointedly. Topaz couldn't help the eyebrow that rose at this comment. As if traffic and such mundane things could be micromanaged.
"Sadly, SHIELD can't control everything." Pierce answered, clearly thinking along the same lines as her. Despite them being in SHIELD HQ, Pierce had still ordered two other agents to work as bodyguards. It surprised her that none of the other members found this odd, but she wasn't used to escorting people of high ranks, so maybe it was quite common, even in an environment that was meant to be a safe space.
"Including Captain America." Rockwell remarked.
It sounded like the Council wasn't particularly pleased with Pierce's work. She had managed to get her hands on a newspaper on the way to collect the members and had managed to conclude that both Captain America and Black Widow were fugitives of SHIELD. Hence, Rockwell's remark.
Pierce however, only threw Rockwell a side-glance and chose to ignore the comment. The group was approached by a security guard, holding a case with security badges, one for each of the members. Or rather, everyone except Pierce himself.
"This facility is biometrically controlled. These will give you unrestricted access." He explained, taking the case from the guard and offering it to the group. All of the councilmembers took one badge each, but Topaz couldn't help but notice that councilwoman Hawley seemed to hesitate, just for a fraction of a second before putting it on. Oh well, maybe the woman was just suspicious of new things. Topaz was.
While Pierce and the councilmembers took the elevator up to Pierce's office, the two other agents chose another elevator. Topaz chose the stairs, despite the fact that the office was almost on the top floor. She hated cramped spaces, and science said that exercise was supposed to be good for you.
Along the way up the stairs, she made sure to stop by the kitchen area, picking up a tray with a bottle of champagne along with five glasses. Seeing as she wasn't dressed in tactical gear, unlike the two agents, she would be able to stay in the office without drawing attention to herself. She'd blend in as just an accessory, as a waitress or server.
Entering the office, she saw that the councilmembers were already gathered in front of the big glass wall where the projection of Project Insight was being shown. There was a big timer in the middle, counting down until the carriers were supposed to launch. Without further ado, Topaz put down the tray on the desk and uncorked the champagne.
When all the glasses were filled, she went around the group and offered all of them a glass. With her tray empty, she flipped it, so she held it along her stomach and went to stand in the corner, under the pretense that she'd be ready to serve in case of a refill.
"I know the road hasn't exactly been smooth, and some of you would have gladly kicked me out of the car along the way." Pierce said with just a hint of bitterness in his voice. He turned his back to the members and instead watched the timer. "Finally, we're here. And the world should be grateful." He raised his glass, toasting the other councilmembers.
Topaz had a good overview from her spot in the corner, and once again, she couldn't help but feel a bit suspicious of councilwoman Hawley. Because even at the gesture of a simple toast, the woman hesitated, toasting a moment later than her manly counterparts.
"Attention all SHIELD agents, this is Steve Rogers."
When Captain America's voice echoed through the speakers, everybody's glasses sunk from their lips, and Topaz's attention was drawn from Hawley to the ceiling, listening intently to the words.
"You've heard a lot about me over the last few days. Some of you were even ordered to hunt me down." Yup, guilty as charged. The fight against him was something she could remember clearly, although the last time hadn't exactly gone in her and Winter's favor. "But I think it's time you know the truth."
Here, Cap paused, and she couldn't help but wonder if he was pondering his words, figuring out how to best phrase what was on his mind. "SHIELD is not what we thought it was. It's been taken over by HYDRA. Alexander Pierce is their leader."
Pierce walked from his place in front of the big projection, a frown on his face. However, he didn't seem too phased with being outed as HYDRA's leader.
The other councilmembers eyed him, mostly with confused and surprised looks on their faces. Pierce however, only raised a quick eyebrow, casually accepting the blame as it wasn't a lie. "The STRIKE and Insight crew are HYDRA as well. I don't know how many more, but I know they're in the building. They could be standing right next to you."
As her eyes followed Pierce, she saw him fish up his phone from his inside pocket, tapping it intently. But it went unnoticed by the councilmembers as they were still transfixed by the Captain's words. "They almost have what they want. Absolute control. They shot Nick Fury."
Oh, that was a detail she hadn't been informed about. The Director of SHIELD had been taken out of the equation? Not bad for a day's work.
"And it won't end there. If you launch those Helicarriers today, HYDRA will be able to kill anyone that stands in their way. Unless we stop them. I know I'm asking a lot. But the price of freedom is high. It always has been. And it's a price I'm willing to pay. And if I'm the only one, then so be it. But I'm willing to bet I'm not."
With that ending, the speakers went silent.
Pierce had walked around the room during the speech, so he once again was in front of the projection, having all the councilmembers' eyes on him. But he didn't shy away from the attention, rather the opposite. He reveled in it.
"You smug son of a bitch." Rockwell said with a scowl.
The agents that had been escorting the group from before now entered, together with an additional one. As the councilmembers didn't know that the agents were HYDRA, councilman Singh eyed them. "Arrest him." He ordered, gesturing towards Pierce in the belief that the agents were here for that purpose.
This had the opposite effect however, as Singh got a gun pointed at him instead.
"I guess I've got the floor." Pierce said rather smugly.
Through the big windows, Topaz could see how the Helicarriers slowly rose up into the sky. Either the Captain's pep talk hadn't worked, or HYDRA had managed to take the control room. It wasn't without a fight however, as the Helicarriers were already firing at Wilson in his Falcon-suit. And she was willing to bet that the Captain was nearby. Even if they were fighting on opposite teams, she had to admit she was impressed by their stubbornness.
They didn't give up despite the odds not being in their favor.
Pierce was also overlooking the rising of the Helicarriers, his phone in his hand. He was not amused by the fact that the Captain and his crew were trying to interfere with Project Insight. "Let me ask you a question." He walked over to the desk, putting down the phone and instead taking up a glass of champagne, slowly making his way over to councilman Singh. "What if Pakistan marched into Mumbai tomorrow, and you knew that they were going to drag your daughters into a soccer stadium for execution." He held out the glass for the councilman to take.
Singh eyed the glass for a moment, before accepting it. With the threat of being held at gunpoint hanging over his head, he had no choice but to play along.
"And you could just stop it, with a flick of a switch. Wouldn't you? Wouldn't you all?" Pierce asked the room at large. The other councilmembers just stood in shock, not knowing what to say to this.
"Not if it was your switch." Singh said defiantly, throwing the glass away. It shattered on the floor, breaking into a million pieces. At this little rebellious act, Pierce only chuckled and silently asked for a gun from the nearest guard, who obliged at once. He aimed the gun at Singh, directly at the man's chest.
But right before he had the chance to pull the trigger, the councilman was kicked out of the way by none other than councilwoman Hawley.
~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Soooo... Did this dumbdumb confuse the days and thought it was Thursday yesterday? Yes, she did.
Buuut I already had this chapter pretty much done so, double update. Yay!