Rectify | Bucky Barnes

Chapter Twenty-Seven

A fog has settled over the land where the Sokovian base is, making it difficult to tell where we can land. Luckily, Bucky finds a clearing about a mile out from the base, we can make the walk. The surrounding area is eerily quiet, I feel like there are eyes everywhere watching us.

I hear crows in the distance and branches snapping under our feet as we swiftly and quietly make our way to the base. I feel bad for having to bring Wanda and Pietro back here, but it's the only place I think has the necessary equipment for me to write the algorithm undetected.

After about ten minutes of walking through the Sokovian forest, the base comes into sight. It's made of plain concrete, and I see Hydra's symbol engraved into the side of the building. Going through the main entrance is more likely to draw attention than going in this entrance. Plus, the main entrance is up a huge mountain that we don't have time to climb.

I walk up to the door first and see a keypad next to the handle. I try entering the code I know for the Siberian base, hoping that Hydra is uncreative in their passwords. Unfortunately, the code doesn't work. I bite the skin of my lower lip as I try to come up with a quick solution.

"Here, let me." Bucky says. He grips the handle with his metal arm and pulls hard. I see the strain in his face, I'm not sure he'll be able to pry it open. I nervously look over to the twins, who are focused on watching Bucky. Thankfully, the lock breaks and the door opens.

Bucky walks in first, followed by me and then the twins. The base is cold and quiet, both good indicators that people aren't here. I hold my breath as we walk through the halls, feeling uneasy. We eventually make our way down to the basement level and I look around at what's been left.

I see scattered papers everywhere, littering tables and the floor alike. There are some holding cells with black iron bars that are empty. I see a computer setup on the far back wall, I should be able to use those. The others look around as I go to turn on the computers. I know Hydra's computers are all disconnected from the internet, they're all on a private intranet which allows Hydra to conduct their business quietly and with select people.

I turn the computer on and notice that there's a thin layer of dust that has settled on the keyboard, another good indicator. I turn around as I wait for the computers to boot up and see the twins staring at the cells. I don't want to pry, but I am curious about what happened here.

"Is this where they kept you?" I break the silence. My voice echoes off the walls slightly. Wanda nods her head,

"They kept me in this one, Pietro in the other." She points to two adjoining cells.

"I had always heard of this place. I'm glad it's inoperable now." I say and put my hands in my pockets to keep my fingers warm.

"Your father almost transferred you here." Wanda says. I nod my head,

"Yeah, I don't know why he didn't but I'm thankful." I say.

"The people who didn't survive the exposure were sometimes piled up in the corner. This was not a good place." Wanda says, pointing to the corner next to the holding cells. I can't even imagine what it must have been like to be experimented on and have the bodies of the deceased only a few feet away.

"I am so sorry they did that to you guys. You didn't deserve it." I say, not knowing what else I could say that would offer comfort. I'm not sure the words exist to bring comfort to someone who's been a subject of Hydra.

I hear the computers boot up behind me and I turn to look at them. The screens are lit up with the entry message and I put in my old password. Unlike the door, my password works this time. Bucky joins me and crosses his arms as he watches me navigate through the programs. I know the one I'm looking for is here somewhere.