The Hurt And The Healing: Bucky X OC

Chapter Forty Four: Stood Up

TW: graphic depiction of violence

It had been stupid for him to try and escape. He knew that now. Honestly, he had known it back when he attempted it, but that hadn't been enough to stop him. They had lapsed in cutting his leg muscles, giving him the strength needed to walk through the hallways, albeit in excruciating pain that hobbled him. His left arm was still fully functional, although oftentimes occupied with cradling his right. And the soldier who brought in his nutrients IV for that day was unusually absentminded and took too long to lock the door. All of this added up to an opportunity he had seized, starting with the guard's gun.

As he had stumbled towards the exit the woman in black from before joined him. She pointed out soldiers heading towards them, giving him enough time to take them out with a single shot. When he finally ran out of bullets he chucked the gun at the next attacker, knocking him out cold before he got into the elevator.

No amount of brainwashing would take away his ability to kill.

"So, what's the plan?" she had asked, glancing over at him as he leaned against the wall gasping for air.

"Plan?" he'd echoed, managing a small smile through gritted teeth.

"So, no plan," she'd said slowly, looking at him with some concern.

"I'll make it up as I go," he had replied, watching the floor number change as the elevator rose. She had scoffed but said nothing, opting to just shoot him skeptical looks as the elevator neared the surface.

They had made their way through the doors and out into the freezing cold night. They were in the woods and when he glanced behind him he could see a mountain looming above them. The wind screamed around them, battering them with snow and ice as he had tried to move forward, leaning on the woman in black for support. She hadn't seemed affected by the cold, but he had shivered violently.

"Which way?"

"Just away."

They had made it a whole fifty feet before he collapsed onto the ground. She crouched down next to him, encouraging him as he pulled himself through the snow, bloody and mangled right arm dragging beside him.

"Come on, Bucky!" she had whispered as the sound of approaching soldiers reached his ears. He groaned and did his best to move but it was impossible to outrun the guards who could actually run. So he lay face down in the snow and waited for them to arrive.

The first thing they did was slice the tendons in his calves again. This time he hadn't even tensed up as the blade whistled through the air. Then they had broken his right arm again, making it three still-healing fractures, not that it had been of any use to him during his escape. And for good measure they had kicked him in the sides until he was coughing up blood.

As they had dragged him back to his cell Bucky glanced to his side and watched the woman fade into the trees.

At least she had gotten free.

When they made it back to his cell Movoniv was sitting in a single metal chair and waiting. The soldiers had dumped Bucky at his feet before leaving them alone. Bucky had coughed and groaned but managed to push himself up with his left arm so that he could look his captor in the eye. But Movoniv did not look back at him.

"I thought we were making progress, Zimski Vojnik," Movoniv muttered, head in his hands. Bucky had said nothing in response. "I thought that you were finally understanding the magnitude of what we were doing here. That you would not leave when given the opportunity."

Given the opportunity.

When Movoniv had finally looked down at Bucky his face was cold. The scar dragged his left side down into a sneer and whatever warmness had been in his voice in days past was gone. "I gave you a chance to prove yourself to me, and what is my thanks?"