Longing •Bucky Barnes•

•Two•

I woke in a dark room hardly able to make out much more than a consistent beep every second or so. I felt the soreness hit me as it did most days upon my waking, but something was off. The bed beneath me was soft. My cold slab was now fluffy and warm and I instantly went into panic. I was not in my cell.

I sat up right seeing myself in some sort of hospital. I recognized this type of room too many times over the years. After a torture session, if they went to far they'd have to treat me to make sure I didn't die. If I struggled to comply on a mission they'd nearly beat me and attack me to death for my failures. Needless to say I felt anything but safe in this room. I never thought I'd see the day I'd miss my cell, but at least if I was there I knew where I was.

I began to worry and I heard the beeping beside my bed picked up pace. I tried to leave and I noticed hand cuffs holding me to the bed itself. I nearly laughed to myself because sure the cuffs looked strong, but the bed posts were made of mere iron. I yanked both my arms free, but suffered the cuffs digging deep into my skin. I heard loud beeping coming from other areas around me and I knew my time was short, they'd know something was wrong.

I was in only a hospital gown and nothing more, but I didn't let that stop me. I looked for a weapon around me, but the room was damn near stark empty. I heard footsteps approaching from down the hall and I knew I needed to find another exit. There was no way I could guarantee myself to win my fight out the front door. I was damned with no window or even accessible vents to escape out of. I was for all intensive purposes, stuck.

I heard the door open and knew it was now or never. I was faced with a blonde man who looked beaten up. He held a black eye and cut lip and I smiled to myself. Exactly how I wanted it, he was already worn down. I half wondered if I was the one who had given him those injuries. I had a vague recollection of fighting two people, one with a metal arm and another who didn't last long. He had two human arms so I assumed he was the latter.

"Valerie I'm going to need you to lay back down." He said holding his hands up defensively.

"What so you can hold me captive? Just like they did?" I asked angrily. "Yeah, no thanks."

"We don't want to hurt you, you're not being held captive." He said carefully. I saw several others run up behind him and I knew I was cornered.

"So let me go." I said feeling my shoulders rise up and down as I breathed heavily.

"Valerie HYDRA is looking for you as we speak. You walk out those doors and they'll have you back in that cell within the hour." He said and I looked at all the others around me who kept filing in. "If you leave we can't protect you."

"What makes you think I want to be here instead?" I asked angrily. "How do you know my name anyways?"

"You know us Valerie, HYDRA wiped your memory clean. We can help you get it back." He said.

"No you can't. They've practically wiped my brain once a week for the last year." I said defensively.

"They've wiped it clean for longer than that Val. You've been gone for 5 years." He said and I stood there still for a moment. I had never actually realized how long I'd be gone, rather what I had even been gone from. "The fact that you know they've wiped your brain is proof you remember something."

"How do you know this? How are you going to stand here and speak to me like you know what I went through?" I asked in a shaky voice. Just then a long haired man with the metal arm walked in and I looked at him with anger practically boiling over. I knew exactly who he must've been.

"He is just like you." The blonde man said and I nearly wanted to attack them more now.

"He's nothing like me." I said in a low voice.