Unchained Melody

Chapter 21

~Melody's P.O.V.~
The bosses were impressed with how well I was able to pull off the assignment. There were no hiccups from what they could tell and they hadn't heard anything about anyone knowing who I am. They just kept me training, eating well, and sleeping. The new top dogs of HYDRA weren't as stingy as the ones before them. They treated me more like a person who was working for them than an object they owned, the hospitality was mildly nice. They barely even bothered me unless it was important or regarding an assignment, otherwise, I only really saw Brock.
Brock was the only one who was allowed to spar with me. He was probably scared that I would kill someone else, which I would in full honesty. He was hesitant to be in a cage with me as well but he was the only one who knew how I trained before. Everyone was too new to the cause but for him, it was like another day. Before HYDRA's fall, if there was a day when they didn't want me training with the Winter Soldier due to a mission or whatever else I would do soft sparring with Brock.

I held my fists up, blocking my face slightly as he stood across the small cage from me, holding a knife in one hand. He took a step towards me, swinging the knife at my side. I grabbed his arm and squeezed it enough for him to drop the knife, suddenly using my body weight to pull him down, flipping his body over me and onto the ground. Once he landed on his back I grabbed the knife, rolling myself on top of him, straddling his stomach, and holding the knife to his throat.
"You haven't lost your touch, huh?" He reached for my hand grabbing the knife out of it before pushing me off of him.
"I still prefer guns." I got to my feet before extending my hand out to help him up.
He took it, letting me pull him back up to his feet. "Ya but I barely trust you to hold a knife near me. No one would ever trust you with a gun in this building."
"What would be the point of killing you? Months of torture? I cooperate because I don't want to die. If I didn't then they would torture and beat me within an inch of my life." I walked over to the door of the cage, waiting for Brock to unlock it and let me out. "If I behave like the good little puppy your bosses want, it's a shitty run-down hotel that I can't leave."
"Well, now I feel bad for having to take you where we are going." He placed a set of cuffs on my wrists before unlocking the door, dragging me by the cuffs out of the cage and towards a hallway.
"What do you mean? Where are we going?" I resisted slightly as he dragged me down the hallway in the opposite direction of my cell.
We made it down to a dark room, the only people in there were him, the big boss, and me. He pulled me inside and let the door slam shut behind me. The only thing in this room was a weird chair with what appeared like arms... and a helmet-type thing. The only time I had seen a chair like this was after Steve found us the first time... when he recognized Bucky after his mask fell off. They were going to try and erase my memories...
I let out an inhuman screech as I saw the chair, pulling back from Brock with enough force to drag him. "Nonononono. You guys said if I followed your instructions you wouldn't. I did everything you asked. The assassination went fine, I killed the target and started the fire."
The older gentleman shook his head as he walked closer to me, a smile spread across his face as he made a clicking sound with his tongue. He was holding a tablet that seemed to have pictures from when I was in the office for the assassination. It showed me leaning over the desk as I was typing on the computer before I left. "Yes Osiris, you completed the assignment. But leaving a message behind for your brother? That wasn't a part of your assignment."
I pulled Brock in front of me to try and use him as a shield, stepping back away from the man. Slipping my hand down to grab the knife he used in training, holding it to Brock's neck. "You step back or I will kill him."
The old man let out a chuckle, turning the tablet back towards him and typing on it. "Do it. I can get another goon that won't show mercy on you. Oh, some food for thought, I have men constantly surveying that compound. If you choose not to cooperate with me right now, they will end the lives of everyone you love and everyone they love. I know you know how easy it would be to blame it all on you."
He turned the tablet back towards me, showing me a live feed of Steve, Bucky, and Natasha watching some television show in the common room. 
I took a deep breath and dropped the knife to the ground, taking a step back from Brock as I raised my hands up in the air. I walked over to the chair standing in front of it, getting ready to sit down. "Fine, but if I cooperate with your demands you don't touch that compound or the people in it. Otherwise,I will bring this entire organization to the ground, and I will spend the rest of my life making sure it is very permanent."
The man nodded, "yes ma'am. You have my word."
I nodded back and climbed into the chair, sitting back while I waited for the contraption to wrap around me. I closed my eyes, trying to drown myself in my thoughts instead of thinking about what would happen. It won't work. It never worked last time and it won't work this time.
"Hello, Avengers." The man started talking. "I know you don't know me, but I'm about to be your worst nightmare. I have a little friend of yours here, I know she is very important to a few of you."
I felt someone grab my chin, making me look at a camera with a blinking red light.

~Bucky's P.O.V.~
Natasha, Steve, and I were all sitting out in the common area watching TV when suddenly the broadcast was interrupted by a dark screen and loud sirens. The screen then cut to what looked like a dark room and an old man, who I had never seen before. The man started to clear his throat and adjust his tie before speaking, "Hello Avengers."
"Tony!" Natasha jumped up from the couch before making her way towards a dark hallway. After a couple of seconds, both she and Tony came back from the hall, walking over behind the couch and watching the broadcast. Her tablet, which she hasn't left alone since Mel was taken, was held in her hand as a hologram of Nick Fury faced the television as well. "I don't know what it is. Tony is trying to pull up the origin now."
Mel's face was suddenly pulled into the screen from the background. The old man was holding onto her chin. "I know she is very important to a few of you. And she has been a very important asset to our rebuilding... But we are ready to bargain."
Steve stood up from the couch and walked closer to the television, studying every movement the man-made.
Each time he jerked Mel around I could feel my body tensing more, anger building inside me. I could feel the armrest on the chair cracking underneath my hand.
"I want the Winter Soldier." He shoved her back into the chair before facing the camera again. "She would only be better with her partner. You have until 12 PM tomorrow to meet us at the disclosed location we have sent to your cell phone, Soldier. You come alone. If you bring anyone, tell anyone about the location, or are even in the slightest bit tailed, she will be punished. If you do not show up, she will be punished. I will promise you that it will be worse than anything you or her have ever experienced."
The man walked out of the frame, letting the camera focus on Mel. The chair moved around her, grabbing onto her arms and pushing her back. The headpiece came down over her, covering her head and forehead, her eyes closed as it pulled her to lay down. Within seconds all you could hear was her screams. The video cut out but the audio still played, as if it was on a loop.
My hands came up to cover my ears, humming softly to try and drown out the noise. I watched as Steve turned to look at Tony, talking to him before standing up and walking over to the TV.
Tony frantically tapped on his tablet, attempting to turn the audio off.
Steve stood up and walked over to the TV, pulling it away from the wall and yanking the cords out. He looked back at Tony and started yelling.
I lowered my hands, I could still hear the screams.
"Tony, turn it off." Steve started to walk toward Tony. He reached to grab the tablet from him but Tony pulled it away.
"I can't control it, Steve. I don't know what... F.R.I.D.A.Y. Who is hacking into our systems?" Tony turned around and walked towards the hallway.
"It's fucking HYDRA," I growled. He didn't need some dumb A.I. to tell him that much.
Suddenly the power went out. The screaming stopped. We were all standing in pitch darkness, aside from Tony's glow.
"There, now I just have to turn it all back on... and figure out how to keep them from getting back into my systems." Tony began to walk towards his lab, passing by Wanda as she scurried into the room.
"Is everyone okay? What was that about?" Wanda rushed over to us, scanning from me to Steve.
Steve was pacing back and forth behind the couch, running his hands through his hair while shaking his head. He was thinking. If he thought any harder you probably could have smelt smoke coming from his brain. "How do we-. What can we-. I don't know what to do."
I took a breath and stood up, walking around the chair and heading to my room. I needed to be alone. I couldn't even start to think about what I was going to do. I need to go, but they would literally kill me. I can't trust their words. As soon as I got there I would be right in that chair too.