A series of one shot chapters about Bucky Barnes mostly told in the first person by different people. Stories will reflect different times in the life of James Buchanan Barnes. This is PG rated and any sexual content will be kept to a minimum.
Mar...
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December 1991, Siberia
The Soviet Union had been disintegrating for some time and support for HYDRA's activities was mostly cut when Mikhail Gorbachev became President in the late 1980s, as he pursued a policy of détente with the West. This led to HYDRA pulling back and concentrating their activities in fewer facilities, while contracting out the use of the Winter Soldier as an assassin for hire, with the fees charged going to supporting HYDRA. His most recent mission, the assassination of industrialist and co-founder of SHIELD, Howard Stark, had been successful, resulting in the acquisition of the American supply of super soldier serum.
The case with the stolen serum was placed in front of the Asset's handler, Colonel Karpov, the man in charge at the Siberian facility. For Karpov, it was his plan to use the serum to transform five individuals, part of an elite kill squad, into the newest Winter Soldiers. They were considered HYDRA's best operatives and along with the Asset would form a new group, offered to anyone wishing to destabilize a country, overthrow a government, or remove anyone from office, for a hefty fee, of course. The mission to get the serum wasn't approved by his superiors. In fact, they weren't aware of it at all, as Karpov gambled that successfully transforming more assassins into Winter Soldiers would put him into a position of power that could make him a very rich man.
As the five individuals were infused with the serum they began reacting painfully to the process, necessitating their removal to sealed rooms where they were restrained while the worst of the reactions wracked their bodies. While Karpov wrote his notes, ignoring the screams of pain from the sealed rooms around him he realized that the screams from one of the subjects had stopped and he opened the door, discovering the subject sitting on the edge of his cot, his restraints broken.
"Come," he said in Russian. "Let's see how you fare against the Asset."
The others in the sealed rooms soon also ceased their cries of pain and were discovered in a similar state of waiting, their restraints broken. Leading them into a secure space, with additional guards, doctors and the Asset waiting to test their strength, Karpov gave the order for the first man to square off against their only Winter Soldier until now, eagerly anticipating the battle between the two men. It was as good as he hoped, with the younger man easily dominating the Asset, sending him flying into the bars of the door. As the winner of the bout stood there, breathing heavily in a state of barely contained rage a doctor stepped forward to check his heart rate. As soon as he touched him the doctor was a marked man as the new Winter Soldier seized the man by the head, dashing him to the ground and killing him instantly. A guard stepped forward with a stun baton, applying it to the back of the killer. His life was forfeit in an instant and the other transformed agents stood up ready to assist their brother in arms. Karpov read the situation quickly and pulled his gun out, ordering the Asset to get him out of there and following him to the steel barred door ignoring the carnage going on behind him until he was out of danger.
