Annabelle Rogers - James 'Bucky' Barnes

Chapter Twenty - Eight

Icey cold breezes cover Annabelle's body as she began to stir, opening her eyes, welcomed by flashing of fluorescent lights.

The walls where dark and cold, covered in rough brick and concrete. Sitting herself up she noticed she was laying on a very warn out mattress covered in stains and dust. A chain wrapped around her ankle, connecting her to the metal pipe fixtures against the wall.

As her head began to defog she realised the she was no longer at the compound anymore.

An old man stuttered into the room, taking no notice of her conscious state. He had large reading glasses on, wearing a dark baseball cap that covered most of his face from her view. She didn't recognise him. Turning around he finally noticed her.

"Oh good, you're finally awake. You where out for days, stubborn as always I see."

He knelt down next her, taking in all of her features. Her messy tangled hair and bright blue eyes.

"Just like your mother" he added, stroking the side of her face with his grease stained hands.

Walking back over to his work bench he started cleaning out one of his many guns. Whipping it over with a blue cloth.

"I bet you're wondering who I am?" Annabelle nodded through her confused dazed.

He stalked back over towards her, coming back out of the shadows still holding the pulled apart hand gun.

"My name is Oliver Williams - but you can call me dad"

---

"What do you mean she's gone Steve! How do you loose your unconscious sister!" James voice bellowed down the phone.

Passing around Annabelle's bedroom, Steve was trying to run James through the events from when they discover Annabelle was gone.

"We didn't think anyone would take her, we are in the compound. Possibly the most secure place."

"Clearly no Steve! Someone came and took A.B. - Without any of you realising. If I was there, she wouldn't have been alone!"

Knowing James was right Steve fell into guilty silence, if he hadn't let his own feeling get in the way then maybe Annabelle would still be here, in the compound.

Throwing his phone against the wall it shattered into pieces as James fell down on his knees. Punching his fist into the wall, shattering the plaster.

As the dust was settling he came up with a plan, he was not going to wait around until Steve gave him an update. He was a trained assassin. He is going to go get his girl back himself.

---

Back in the basement Annabelle started to shiver as the wintery air grew colder against her skin. She had been listening to Oliver go on and on about how he was so excited to finally meet his creation. His prized procession.

Going on to explain how he followed her around for the last 22 years. Once he found out where her mum had taken her. Every last detail of her life, from the pre school she attended to her relationship with James.

"I lost you for a few months there but thanks to your 'dad' Tony Stark, you where very easy to follow. Every last move of his plastered over the media. Including your adoption. - I was actually surprised he let his precious daughter to date such a unstable assassin"

Tears started to fill her stinging eyes as she thought about what her family would be going through right now, trying to find her. Her heart broke that bite more when she thought of James, with her dad and brother finding out about their hidden relationship and now with her missing. He definitely would be unstable.

What felt like hours had past as Annabelle's eye lids started to feel heavy. No windows or natural light to indicate what time of day it was. Trying so hard to stay awake, preparing for Oliver to come back.

Curling up in a ball, cradling her knees Annabelle gave in on her internal battle with sleep. Her bare skin was turning purple as the room seemed to fall colder and colder. Still in her evening dress she wished to be in her king size bed curled up in James' warm embrace.

"Wake up!"

A heavy voice spat, kicking the mattress she was curled up on. Opening the cracks of her eyes, she was greeted by the rough feature of Oliver.

He seemed very displeased with the state she was in, throwing a pair of grey paint stained track pants and a musty blanket at her. Gliding on the pants Annabelle noticed a plate on the cold ground. Two slices of buttered toast, poorly buttered mind you. It looked old and stale but the emptiness of her stomach pushed her to take a bite.

Leaning up against the concrete wall she watched as Oliver was sifting through some old papers. Growing very impatient until he found what he was looking for. A creepy grin crept on his face as he pulled over a stool, sitting right in front of her.

"You know, I really did love your mother. She had such strong potential."

Shifting in her spot Annabelle disliked the way he talked about her mum. Always so dark and devious. Like a predator.

By the way he looked she could place an easy 15-20 year age difference. Her mum being underage when they met wouldn't surprise her, he seemed just like the type.

"So tell me, Have you experienced any sudden changes lately? Feeling stronger? healing quicker? - No?" Annualising the file as he read. "How about your emotions? how have they been?"

Scanning over the confused face Annabelle was expressing he swiftly caught onto her lack of knowledge. How has she gone 25 years without even noticing.

"So, your mother never told you. Interesting. Did she ever tell you about me?"

Sitting there silent, Annabelle stared blankly at him. Not wanting to entertain his sick mind games. She was slightly curious as to what he was referring to though.

"You know, it'd be nice if you spoke!" He spat aggressively, causing her to jump.

"All mum said was that my dad wasn't around. I was five when she killed herself, not exactly old enough for the run down on my psycho father."

Pleased by her attitude he pressed her further. "Killed herself huh? is that what you've told yourself?"

"I found her, overdosed on the bathroom floor. Thats what happened! I witnessed it!"

Muscles tensed up as Annabelle explained the events, how dare he question such a sensitive topic. It has always been a dark memory that Annabelle never recovered from.

"interesting"

"So how long has your eyes been doing that?"

Her eyes flew wide open as he nodded towards her. Slamming her eyes shut she focused on her breathing, trying incredibly hard to to rest her worries. The last thing thing she needed was him to notice her abilities.

"You don't need to hide it from me, I know. - How do you think I finally got your location again?"

Oliver was referring to the large energy blast from the night of the Christmas party. He knew her abilities would show eventually and he wanted be the first one to help her 'develop' them.

Creating a system that would detect any kind of energy readings out of the normal.