It was that time of the evening, where sun was ready to go down, sky was full of warm colors, orange and yellow colors were melting on marshmallow clouds, atmosphere was balanced between just comfortable amount of cold and warm. It was the perfect time to go for an evening walk only if everyone weren't busy in an ambush.
A car was coming near the warehouse, once it was parked, the driver stepped out and started walking his way inside. The warehouse was pretty old but it was packed with empty shipping containers.
When he stepped inside he found just the person he was looking for,
" Sandy."
"hey, man. How you doing?" he replied trying to play cool.
"where have you been all this time?" the HYDRA agent said walking in.
"told you man, I had some business."
"what business was so important that made you leave without any message?"
"kinda personal."
"never mind that, how much did you get on that packakge?" he asked as he came to him face to face.
"a lot."
"how much exactly?"
"a-a lot exactly."
"this isn't time to joke, I'm in a hurry. Just give me my part of money."
Unknown to him, Hawkeye and Captain America were hiding behind the containers, shield and arrows ready in hands, waiting for the right moment to strike.
"are you sure he'll give us their addres, didn't you say they'd rather die than sell out to someone?" hawkeye asked.
"he doesn't seem like a loyal one, if he's going behind their back selling their items, he'd give up on them easily." Captain answered.
"calm down dude, what's so rush, money ain't running anywhere." Sandy said.
"we have to make double shift these days, there's something going around with new experiments and we have to harden the security."
"cool....what experiments?"
"they got some weird kid going through enhancing stuff. Doesn't matter. Come on hurry I said."
Both avengers shared a known look of worry, they were hoping this wasn't what they were thinking. Maybe he was talking about someone else, they'd save that someone else too but just their inner voice were telling them to not believe what their mind was telling them to believe.
"of course, of course....thereeee you go." Sandy said pulling out bundle of cash wrapped in white plastic.
The agent took the cash the hid it inside his jacket,
"okay, I'll call you again if I get my hands on something else." the agent said and started walking out.
"h-hey wait.." the agent stopped and looked back, "...why don't we just spend the time together man."
"what the fuck are you talking about?"
"can't just two friends hang out together?"
"you're acting strange ever since you came back." The agent said frowning.
"am I?"
"what's going on?" he asked being suspicious
"nothing's going on, man." Sandy said trying to fake a laugh.
"fuck it. I'm going out." He said and started rushing towards the exit.
But suddenly an arrow landed few feet away and blasted as Hawkeye came in sight infront of him,
"not so fast, pal."
"shit." The agent said and pulled out a gun and aiming at him but Captain America jumped in and threw his shield at him from behind, dropping him to the ground.
"this was a trap..." He screamed and looked at Sandy, "...you snitch."
"stay down, this doesn't need to get ugly." Captain warned.
When he tried to get up and charge at Captain, Hawkeye shot an arrow at his feet and it bond them together and he fell down again. Captain came forward and grabbed his collar tightly,
"you work for HYDRA don't you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"son....just don't. Save your time and ours, tell us where you work."
"HYDRA, you're right, I work for HYDRA." The agent said getting scared.
"we already know that, we don't need confirmation. Tell us the location of your base." Hawkeye asked.
"alright, alright. I'll tell you. I'll tell you."
.
.
.
.
It felt like I've been trapped here forever, I lost count of how many time they turned on that deafening noise from last few hours with me tied inside this chamber, without food or water.
They wanted me to get this ability to work on command but I couldn't control it. Honestly I wanted it to happen again so it could shield that noise for me but no matter how much I try it wouldn't appear again. My mind was getting empty at this point, my eyes got too tired to shed even a single tear. I lost all my energy to resist these bondage.
It was pause until I knew they were going to start it again, I could do nothing but wait for the next wave but it taking longer than usual.
Then I heard the door open to my right, I couldn't move my head but even if I did I didn't even have enough energy to do so, I just moved my eyes towards where I could hear foot steps, and just as I expected, Strucker was in view.
"why must you waste our day like that?"
I was too drained to reply, actually I couldn't even change my facial expressions.
"well, no matter. We got tomorrow. we'll spend the whole day here again until you learn to do it."
Hearing that broke all my heart, another day in hell was waiting for me as I was slowly losing my hopes to get out of here. will I ever get out now?
"as for your punishment, no food today." He said smiling sadistically and walked out before commanding his guards to take me inside my cell again.
Two guards came forward and grabbed sides of whatever I was tied down to and started moving outside, I guess it was something similar to a stretcher. The guards were wearing more armors and safety gear this time.
As we were on our way my eyes kept looking straight at the ceiling thinking about my previous normal life. it felt like everything of that life was left behind now. The biggest of my worry was submitting assignments due deadlines, now I'm not sure if I'll even get out of here alive. What would I even do going back now, where would I even go? I couldn't go back like this, after whatever happened to me. I don't know what have I become, I've become a monster.
I stopped thinking once I heard the door shutting close before I looked around to find out I was back in that cell.
When will this ever end?
I was once again stuck in this silence. I felt so numb like all the emotions just washed away, I've never felt like this horrible before.
Felt like I took my whole life for granted, every sip of water I drank, every piece of food I threw away without a second thought. But I can't go back now...can I?
.
.
.
"hey, wake up."
Michael woke up from his sleep inside the barracks, he groaned before sitting up straight on his bunked bed.
"it's time to change shifts, put on your uniform." His roommate said before walking away inside bathroom.
Michael got up from his bed and looked at the clock, it was midnight indicating his night shift was about to begin, although his last shift wasn't that long ago, he quickly changed his cloths and wore his gear before looking at the mirror, his face was obviously tired with new work hours when his roommate came out of bathroom,
"these extra shifts are killing me, don't even have time to sleep properly." He told Michael.
"they want to tighten the security, we can't do anything about it. ever since that freak came around things went downhill." Michael replied,
"Strucker?"
"who else?"
"all these scientists are freaks in my eyes, trust me I've been here for 15 years and I saw many creepy sights." He said wearing his combat boots while sitting on the bed.
"why do they do it?" Michael asked turning to his roommate properly.
"why do we do it? Because government don't do shit that's why we do it for them, they won't get their own hands dirty."
"is this the only way? By hurting others?"
"we only fight bad guys for the sake of our country." He said tying his show lace.
Michael paused for few seconds, thinking about that answer and the reason of their extra shifts,
"......but that girl, she's just a kid, she was a civilian few days ago."
His roommate stopped his work and signed before looking at him,
"you're new here, aren't you? this isn't the first time they did something like this, and this won't be the last either, sometimes we have to sacrifice innocents....that's just how life works."
Michael stared at him thinking about this answer, he knew how life worked, he wasn't a child, he had seen up close how harsh life could get, but this was beyond anything he came across
"will they ever let her go?"
"definitely not after what they made of her now.....why do you care?"
"....I don't know." He said looking down at floor.
"it's just because this all is new for you, few months and you'll get used to it...." His roommate said after standing up, "...come on, we'll be late." He started walking out before tapping his shoulder.
Michael looked at the mirror again, watching the HYDRA logo more carefully this time, thinking if working here was the only option. But this was too late to think about it now. He put on his cap and walked out of the room.
He was walking down the hallway with his teammate to the cell again, like everynight.
"Finally" one of the guard said who was already standing there,
They exchanged their positions as Michael and his teammate were standing infront of the cell and starting their night shift.
After 2 hours of standing still and working their duty, a new soldier arrived at the scene with food supplies and gave them both their food packets,
"stand up the whole night and all you get is 2 sandwiches." The other guard said complaining,
"at least they're giving you something." The guard said who got them packets, as Michael was opening his package, he remembered something was missing from their daily routine,
"why haven't they send her meal yet, wasn't it supposed to be 1 hour ago?"
"Strucker's order, no food or water tonight." The guard said and left to give out more packages.
He just stood there not surprised and looked at his teammate, out of all the evil things Strucker and HYDRA had done this was the bare minimum, and it was not like he could do anything about it, he didn't even know why he cared, he worked for them he shouldn't question them or go against their order, but for some reason he felt bad, his whole life he had done these kinds of job but civilians were not involved, he had nothing personal against them,
Maybe there is one small thing he could do.
.
I was trying to sleep but I couldn't get any, on any other usual day I would have liked this silence but in this circumstances I wanted to hear something, anything because this silence was killing me. I couldn't even move my head or limbs, I was never so desperate to move or walk.
To surprise I heard someone opening the door, I got scared and tried to break free again but as expected it was useless, I could hear the footsteps coming closer, to my guess it was only one person.
When he came closer I could see who it was, I recognized him instantly, he was that soldier again,
"I'll free you but don't use those spikes on me alright?" He said in a low voice and looked at the my hands I wanted to nod but that belt around my head stopped me from doing so,
He carefully walked closer and opened the belt around my ankles first, I was never more relived to be able to move my limbs, he was extra careful when setting my hands free then at last my head, I didn't waste any time to get and make my distance from him, I didn't know what he was planning and I didn't want to know either,
"hey hey it's alright, I'm just here to give you this." He said showing me a white package, i glanced at it then back at him not knowing if I should I take it,
"it's food, nothing else."
I instantly shook my head to a 'no', in response he signed and opened the package, to my surprise he was saying the truth, there were sandwiches inside, but why would he give it to me, Strucker said otherwise. What if it's a trap,
I guess he realized what I was thinking as he took one sandwich and ate a small bite to show me there's nothing wrong,
"see, it's safe. You can eat it."
I slowly moved my hand forward and took the packages, I hadn't eaten in 2 days and it looked like the most delicious thing in the world to me right now, I glanced at the soldier again before taking my first bite, once I bite it down I couldn't stop myself from taking another one, I kept digging in like it was the last meal on earth, I almost forgot about that soldier who was still standing there,
Which had me thinking again,
"but S-Strucker said-"
"he won't know, don't worry."
"w-why?"
"honestly...I don't know either....just don't think about it. Hurry up before anyone notice."
I went back to eating and finished everything in the package,
"hey, yesterday, how did you....how did you do it?"
I looked up at him confused before realizing what he was talking about,
"I...don't k-know....i-I didn't want t-to do it."
He nodded before taking the empty package from my hands,
"wh-what...are th-they gonna do to m-me tomorrow?"
He stayed silent and didn't say anything at first, not sure if he didn't know or just didn't want to tell me,
"I don't w-want to g-go back there, please. Please just a-anything but that." I tried to plead.
"listen, I know that was cruel but I can't interfere in their decisions. If I could I would stop them."
Hearing that upset me more, so there was no stopping it, it would just continue like today,
"I know it hurts kid. Sorry but it's as far as I can go....didn't you mention Stark earlier?"
My head immediately looked up at him and nodded,
"is he not coming?"
"I'm s-sure he's out there f-finding me. I-I just know."
"you should wait for him then, that's your only hope of getting out of here."
"w-why are y-you helping?"
"I don't like when innocents get in the crossfire."
"then why d-do you work h-here?"
He looked like he was thinking something, like finding an answer, maybe he already knew the answer but didn't know how to describe it,
"I didn't have anywhere else to go, this is the only thing I've ever known, being a soldier, so that's what I did." He answered looking down.
I never saw it that way, HYDRA soldiers having their own life. I just assumed everyone would be bad, maybe not everyone.
"if you h-had anywhere t-to go, then w-would you s-stay?"
"there is no where to go kid."
"m-must be somewher-" then I suddenly remembered something, some place, a place where everyone is accepted,
"Kamar taj."
"what?"
"Kamar taj, j-just in case if y-you want to f-find a place. They w-will accept you, in N-Nepal. Just t-tell them y-you wish to learn what t-they have."
He was confused for a moment but didn't question further,
"alright kid, I'm sorry but I'll have to...you know." He said referring to the belts, if they won't find me the same way, it'll be trouble.
I laid back down as he set the belts around my hands and legs again,
"T-thank you."
He nodded and put the belt around my head before leaving as I was once again in the room all alone and trapped in silence.