By the way, the language later in the chapter is both a reference to, and something of importance to one of the characters in the story :3
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Seeing Steve being arrested caused something to rise up in me. I struggled against the 20 men who were holding me to get to Steve, an overpowered protective instinct kicking in. We were separately dragged into different cars as I struggled, a deep growl rumbling in my throat.
I was shoved into a car and before long I felt us moving. I fell silent and still, deciding to wait and watch what everything did, quickly learning what did what in the car. "Rumlow?"
My eyes snapped towards one of the soldiers as he spoke. 'So his name is Rumlow... good to know.' "What?"
"Should we blindfold her?"
"Why?" He seemed a tad annoyed at the question.
"We don't know what the serum did to her brain, plus I don't like the way she's looking at everything... almost analyzing..." 'Well you're not wrong. I'll give you that.'
I began to growl and thrash my head around as a cloth descended over my eyes. My head was roughly grabbed and held as the cloth was securely attached to the metal of the muzzle. The growl died down again, but it simply became soft as my ears swiveled around. I was listening to where things were in the car before silencing and lowering my head.
'Let's have a bit of fun shall we?' I felt one of the chains loosen slightly on my left side. My head whipped towards the looser chain and hit the person, yanking the other people on my right forward at the unexpected movement. I heard the pained noise from the man I had hit due to the heavy metal muzzle and couldn't help letting out a huff of amusement.
——Time skip : 1 hour——
I felt the car stop and my muscles tensed up in resistance to the tugging on the chains as the back of the car opened. I began to growl again as all of them pulled me out of the car in one effort. I could tell it was a struggle, I was over 200lbs of pure muscle and motherly anger at the men who had taken me from my home and torn my two closest friends away from me.
They struggled to get me to move into the building as I pulled against them at every opportunity. I couldn't smell anything due to the muzzle, but I felt the change in the floor material as we went into an odd metal room. I felt it move and the temperature dropped as we went further and further down.
We exited the tiny room and I heard footsteps coming closer, beginning to growl loudly and struggle against the chains again. They sounded like non-combat or really anything outdoor shoes, and he walked with an assuredness that only came from people of power. 'He must give the orders around here.'
"She's bigger than expected." His voice was filled with worry. 'Understandable, you took me from and hurt my family so you had better be scared of whether you can contain me or not.'
"She's about 5'8" at the top of her shoulder. If her head is up, we estimate around 6'. Combine that with an enhanced intelligence and we might have a problem." I softly growled at that and my fur began to bristle.
"How enhanced?"
"She learned how to crash the jet that was tasked to bring her in from only being on it once." Rumlow piped up and my tail wagged a tiny bit in satisfaction. "We think she can learn how to use or destroy something after only seeing it used once." 'Ding, ding, ding. Give the man a prize.'
"Come on, we need to make sure the asset is ready." A growl shot up in my throat at that word.
"The asset? If you're talking about Bucky I will murder you."
"Bring her."
I was pulled forward roughly and continued to struggle against their holds on me. I heard something thud against the floor as I was dragged into a room. The blindfold was taken off and I looked around at the round doorway with bars around it. A man came over and began to talk to the leading man, who I now saw was at least 60. 'But then again I'm 76 so it doesn't really matter too much.' "Sir, he's...he's unstable. Erratic."
I looked up and saw something that caused a growl to softly rise up in my throat again. There he was... a man I had thought to be dead for over 60 years...
Bucky was staring off into space, his steely-blue eyes haunted and dark. I saw the leader go up to him. "Mission report."
"Mission report, now." Bucky kept a blank expression on his face, not reacting to him. The growl rose up in my throat again and I began to struggle as he slapped Bucky, my motherly protective instincts kicking in again.
"The man on the bridge..." I saw his face become confused and lost. "Who was he." 'What? Why doesn't he remember...'
"You met him earlier this week on another assignment."
My ear twitched a bit as he hesitated a little before answering. I growled loud enough that it echoed throughout the room. "Liar!"
Bucky looked over at me and I saw something flash in his gaze, as well as a bit of pain. He stared directly at my eyes, and my growl dissipated, being replaced with a soft whine as the need to comfort him arose.
"Mala?" (Mallow?)
My eyes widened at my name and I looked around the room at the scientists. They had looks of panic on their faces as Bucky spoke a different language. I recognized it. Bucky and Steve had learned it from Sarah - Steve's mother - and taught it to me for emergency situations. I huffed and made eye contact with Bucky again.
Our interaction didn't go unnoticed by the leader as he began to speak again. "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. Tomorrow morning we're gonna give it a push. But, if you don't do your part, I can't do mine, and Hydra can't give the world the freedom it deserves."
"But I knew him.." Bucky sounded utterly broken and confused at that moment as I struggled to get to him again, a heartbroken whine escaping me as my forepaws left the floor for the moment. He looked over at me again, acceptance and fear in his eyes. "An fear ar an droichead." I stopped moving, keeping my eyes on him, listening intently. "Coinnigh slán é... dealraíonn sé an-tábhachtach.." (The man on the bridge. Keep him safe... he seems very important.)
I nodded to signal I understood and turned my attention to the state that he was in. His hair was shoulder length, stubble was growing on his jawline, and his eyes were a stormy blue that looked haunted and empty.
"Prep him." The leader had turned around towards the scientists.
"He's been out of cryo-freeze too long."
"Then wipe him and start over." At this point, I began to get worried. 'What does it take to remove memories from someone's head, and why do I have a very bad feeling about this..?'
I watched as he was roughly pushed back in the chair and I began to growl and struggle slightly. The fear was evident in his eyes as metal restraints were attached to his arms and a mouth guard was given to him as I was dragged out of the room. He began to scream in pain as I was taken further and further away. Motherly rage took over at the pained noise and I seemed to get stronger at that moment, easily overpowering the 20 men dragging me and beginning to struggle back to Bucky. I saw men raise guns at him and me before beginning to grab my chains and drag me away.
I wasn't worried about the guns pointed at me, but rather Bucky. I forced the protective instinct down, but no matter what it was still present. I allowed myself to be dragged away down the hall, but made a vow in my head. 'I will get you out of here... then we can go home and stay away from this place forever...'
I lowered my head, faking exhaustion and dejection as I drug my paws. I felt the chains loosen bit by bit as we walked, but waited for the perfect time. Once we were near a glass window that lead outside I made my move. I surged forward, pulling the men off their feet and yanking the chains out of their hands. I jumped and broke through the window, running for cover, and running to find Steve.
I had a mission from my family; protect Steve.
——Time skip : 30 minutes later——
'If I was Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, aka Mr. Let's-jump-into-a-battle-and-possibly-defy-the-government-and/or-military what would I be doing? Taking down Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D once and for all.' I ran towards the biggest building nearby with the S.H.I.E.L.D logo on it and saw the water begin to open up. My paws seemed to move on their own as I sprinted towards the concrete platform that led to them. I saw a familiar red-white-and-blue shape running with another person on another platform. Pushing my hind paws off the ground faster, I sped up until I had reached the platform's edge and leapt onto the giant plane-ship-contraption.
I struggled to my paws to see soldiers rushing over to a bunch of crates and ran over myself. Steve was being snuck up on by a soldier, so I quickly jumped on him with a growl and smashed the metal of my muzzle against his head. I looked up at Steve, a blood smudge on the muzzle as I huffed. He quickly came over and broke the muzzle and collar, before stopping me from leaving.
I looked at him confused before he undid a large leather band from around his wrist. He gently put it around my neck and fastened the buckle at the largest hole so it actually fit. I chuffed and nuzzled his hand for a moment before running off next to him to get inside the Helicarrier. As Steve ran, I kept Hydra agents off him as we made our way inside. We reached an odd circular thing and Steve took out a rectangle before putting his own in. "Alpha Locked."
I heard a voice through his earpiece. "I had to take a detour!" A pause. "I'm in. Bravo locked."
Steve and I exited the room and ran for the edge of the platform."I hope you have a plan." I chuffed at him but didn't slow.
"Hey, Sam, I'm gonna need a ride."
"Roger! Let me know when you're ready." I saw him jump and grabbed onto his arm with my jaws, holding on tight and thankful for the strong fabric.
"I just did!" We fell for a bit before Sam came and flew us up to the final helicarrier.
"You know, you two are a lot heavier than you look." I gave an annoyed huff before trotting away.
"I had a big breakfast." Steve excused himself before being pushed off the edge by Bucky.
"Steve!" Sam tried to go for Steve but was caught by Bucky and thrown off the edge. I growled and jumped off the edge for him. We landed on a lower area and I stumbled for a moment before rushing over to where Steve was holding on. "Cap? Cap, come in. Are you okay?" Sam's voice came through the earpiece.
"Yeah, I'm here! I'm still on the Helicarrier." I help him up onto the platform. "Where are you?"
"I'm grounded, the suit's down. Sorry, Cap."
"Don't worry, we've got it." Steve and I began to head inside towards where the override had to go. We ran inside quickly, only to be stopped by Bucky.
"Bucky please don't do this..." I whined and looked at him sadly, even though I knew he was wiped of memories again.
Steve tried to get through to him. "People are gonna die, Buck. I can't let that happen." He pauses and Bucky stares back as us coldly. "Please, don't make me do this."
Bucky just stared back and I looked directly at his eyes. I could see the battle that raged in his mind faintly showing in the steely-blue depths. With a small sigh, Steve began to step forwards.