Odette Parker: My True Self

Chapter 49: Cluster Fuck Fish Bowl

A/N: Chapter is a bit long - but worth the read... and yet another plot twist...
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Bucky and I are sitting at a diner about a block from the main entrance to the Hydra black site. Our illusions are the ones we chose for our new passports in Estonia. I can tell you right now I will not miss having to wear someone else's face after this mess is all over. Bucky is in soldier mode. Head on a swivel, making sure he notices everything all the time. It's making me anxious.

We've been here for about an hour. Casually sitting outside, picking over the food I ordered. I light up a cigarette and put up a thin shield around me so the smoke doesn't bother anyone else. Convenient huh? I hear the gears in Bucky's arm as he tenses and un-tenses. I put out my cigarette and face him.

Dets: "Baby, you have got to relax a bit please? You're making me anxious."

He turns to me and his forehead pinches in concern.

Bucky: "I'm sorry Doll. The last time I was here, this is where my life changed. Steve called me Bucky after my mask came off, not too far from here. Then they set me up in the machine because I knew I knew him. I almost killed Steve during our fight."

I reach across the table and grab his hand, I squeeze it and I feel him relax a bit. Weird how the touch of someone can change your entire mood.

Dets: "Then you pulled him out of the water because somewhere you knew that he was important to you."

Bucky: "It's hard coming back here."

Dets: "I know it is baby, and I am so sorry I am asking you to do this."

He gets up and moves his chair next to me, turning my chair to face him. He takes both of my hands and kisses them.

Bucky: "You have nothing to apologize for. We have to get those pieces. I promised you I would do anything to help you."

Dets: "I know you did. I still feel guilty though."

Bucky: "Well stop. Our recon shows this site isn't active let's go get what we need to and then plan out our next steps."

I nod and signal the waiter for the check. We walk down the block hand in hand. Bucky walks down an alley way up to a door. He shifts a loose brick and reveals a keypad. He enters in a code and the brick wall slides open. I pull out my daggers and Bucky raises his gun.

The black site is empty. I follow Bucky through a hallway and we pass a room numbered 407. I stop and stare. Memory flashes and I see a younger me being tossed into the room after being hosed down, or tortured. I open the door and see a small bed, a table in the corner. I walk in and look around. I flash to nights spent curled up in a ball on the bed hiding my tears after being tortured. I remember the tutors who taught me, us sitting at the table, they are the reason I was able to graduate early. I shudder as I hear Bucky walk in. He wraps his arms around me and sighs.

Dets: "This was my room. Down the hall is the concrete room where they would hose me down. Two hallways over is where you taught me to throw a punch. The room next door to that is the lab, that's where the scars came from."

Bucky: "This made you who you are. You are the strongest woman I know. You survived this."

I turn in his arms and raise my head to look at him.

Dets: "You did too."

He kisses me gently and turns to leave, grabbing my hand leading me out of the room.

We walk into the lab and I shudder hard. I remember the needles, and the pain. I remember the acid coated knives and the tassels from the whip. Bucky grabs one of my hands and pulls me out of my stupor. I walk over to a computer and boot it up. I plug in the drive I brought and LIL O gets to work on hacking their system to collect all the data.