Project: A Stark Winter

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Ain't That A Kick in the Head

Tony called everyone into the conference room for the second time this evening. The team of Natasha, Wanda, Steve, Clint, Sam, and Bucky were all standing anxiously as Bruce and Tony began pulling up schematics of the building and security footage. Pepper sobbed quietly in her chair next to Tony, still clutching your bloody shirt in her fists. Vision phased through the wall and gave a shake of his head to Wanda who slammed a fist on the table.
"I travelled along the side streets and looked for any signs in the immediate vicinity. I unfortunately could not locate, y/n." Vision announces sadly. The team noticeably deflates as their last hope to finding you soon disappears. Steve stands up and walks to the security footage in hopes of finding something else, another clue or hint as to where you could've gone.
"Are we sure she didn't just...leave?" Sam asked, hoping it was a possibility versus the looming probability of where you could be. Natasha shoots him a glare and scoffs.
"Yeah, and she left a bloody shirt for giggles."
"Alright, you guys. Let's just try and stay calm." Steve cuts in gruffly, his eyes never leaving the screen.
"Calm? Remain calm while my daughter is out there, taken by god knows who." Tony growls, tossing his hands up and plopping down in a chair beside Pepper. He places an arms over her shoulder and kisses the top of her head.
"Tony, I know that. We just need to stay focused right now. We will find her." Steve replies though his usual confident tone lacks hope. Bruce clears his throat and takes off his glasses.
"Not that I like this, but if she's been taken there's a good chance they'll hold her for ransom."
"So we just wait? Until some psychotic freak decides to offer her up for cash?" Bucky questions angrily. His chest rises and falls quickly as his vibranium hand flexes nervously. Natasha looks between Bruce and the schematics of the building before sighing.
"He's right. There's a good chance that someone will let us know they have her. Until then, we keep looking ourselves."
"Look where, Nat? We have no clues as to where she went. And who could have taken her?" Clint chimes in and runs a hand over his tired features. Steve looks around the room at his crestfallen team. He's about to launch into a rallying speech when his eyes catch something on the footage.
"Tony, wait. Did you run into someone on the stairs when we were sweeping the building?" Steve asks Tony with an edge of worry creeping into his tone. Tony's eyes raise to meet Steve's where they are focused on a nervous looking Dr. Lee, filling and clutching a black back with documents from the Med Bay.
"Mother fucker...I ran into Dr. Lee and told her to get to the common area. Did we check the employee log for those on duty?" Bruce begins pulling up personnel files and everyone on the team tenses when they see that Dr. Lee was unaccounted for. Tony licks his lips anxiously as he stands from his chair and begins filtering through the footage from the Med Bay. There were various scenes of Dr. Lee testing your blood in experiments, the meetings you'd have with her. The most shocking, though, is Dr. Lee transferring out a new blue vial and looking over her shoulder as you spoke. She switched the syringe cap and injected you with the mystery liquid without you knowing and pockets the vial. Steve pauses the footage and zooms in to just before the vials are switched. His blood runs cold as he takes in the image before him and raises angry eyes to Bucky who is just as aware of what happened. The only two in the room that truly understood what happened.
"That bitch..." Bucky grumbles and punches the wall angrily. Dry wall dusts the ground as he sits in the chair roughly and holds his head in his hands.
"Steve, please tell me that's not..." Tony starts in horror but when he looks into Steve's eyes he has all the answer he needs.
"Dr. Lee injected y/n with super soldier serum."

───※ ·❆· ※───

You come to consciousness slowly, body protesting against the pain in every muscle and bone. Taking stock of your injuries you guess there's definitely a broken rib or two, a gash on your forehead, and a concussion that has you reeling from the dizziness. Your body was laid out on the cold, concrete floor with your arms and legs no longer bound, only by a single chain around your neck with a collar of some sort. Raising shaky hands to the metal, you tug futilely at the restrains and let out a low groan of frustration. A disembodied chuckle echos through the room causing you to stand unsteadily and look around.
"Ah, little one. You are awake. I've been waiting eagerly." Amil Müller says in a sickly sweet tone. You look around once more beide your eyes settle on a surveillance camera and small speaker to which he must've been keeping an eye on you.
"What do you want, Amil...I-I don't even know what I could possibly have that you need." There's a slight waver in your voice as you attempt to sound confident.
"Tsk tsk little one. You really haven't been paying attention. Unfortunately for you but fortunately for me, you are part of a grand plan."
"Stark Winter..." you murmur as you recall what Amil had said.
"Ah! She remembers...good girl." He teases as a door opens and two guards walk into your cell. They grab you roughly and pull your hair until you are looking directly up at the camera. You hear Amil's laugh again before he sighs.
"You truly have grown up to be so beautiful, y/n." With widening eyes, your mind recalls the moments in the orchard with Stephen Strange. He had tried to explain your past and unfortunately the pieces were coming together in your captivity.
"You were the ones who took me, when I was a baby." You state plainly, not as a question. Amil clicks his tongue and you hear his voice lose a bit of the fake politeness.
"Correct, little Stark. We took you for a bigger purpose. We'd have kept you if not for your grandfather. Howard never did like to share..." He teased with his last few words in hopes to get a rise from you, but you remain strong.
"And now what? More experiments? They'll come for me."
"I am hoping they do." The casual tone sent shivers down your spine. You hadn't even done anything this time and now the team of this universe would suffer. Cursed from birth to endure whatever torture this man and Hydra could inflict.
"But, let's give you a little video demonstration. I think there's someone you are dying to see." Amil murmurs, the teasing tone back and you were once again made to play his game. A small screen lights up in the corner of the room. Squinting through the static, your eyes eventually are able to clear enough to see Bucky. He's sat on the floor, chains holding each of his arms above his head. His head has caked on blood smeared over his features and his long hair is stuck to it in certain places. Your heart sinks as you look at him and you squirm to break the hold of the guards and get closer to the screen. They move with you only slightly, and you cry quietly as you see two guards enter his cell. Bucky raises angry eyes to the guards and huffs a dry laugh.
"Where is she?" He questions the guards, who do not respond. Amil's voice echoes through the screen and you realize he's now talking directly to Bucky.
"Your lover is here. Though, I'd say I'm not sure for how long based on her current state." Bucky lunges forward but is pulled up short by his chains. A pang of hurt stabs your chest as you watch Bucky go through various emotions at what Amil was saying, though it was a lie. Bucky couldn't see you, and though injured, you were fine...for now.
"If you so much as-"
"As what, Seargent Barnes? Hurt her? Kill her?"
"I will end you."
"Oh! How dramatic! You have wandered too far from home, Barnes. This is where I have the advantage." Amil coos and laughs but your eyes slowly trail over Bucky who thrashed against his chains. Too far from home?
"Oh, god." You gasp and rush towards the screen to get even closer. Bucky, this Bucky, was yours. Your mind hadn't fully processed until this moment the longer hair and stubbly beard that covered his face. Shaking your head, tears began to fall.
"No! No no no no no." You mumble, panic rising along with the bile in your throat at what this meant. Amil laughs once again as he addresses Bucky.
"Seems like our love has put things together, Sergeant Barnes. This will be most enjoyable, watching them break your spirits. Quite romantic, don't you think?" With that a shock causes Bucky's body to convulse sharply. Your eyes watch as the men take turns beating and shocking Bucky until he hangs unconscious from the chains. The screen turns off as the guards tug you backwards.
"Oh, child. You didn't think you'd get a happy ending in this universe, did you?" The room felt like it was closing in as you struggled to breathe.
"No matter, the process begins now. Break her." Amil commands coldly when the guards yank you toward them and begin taking turns hitting, kicking, and punching you. Every blow sent you reeling and soon you were coughing up blood. Cowering in the corner away from the guards, they take a step back when Dr. Lee enters the cell. She nervously nods at the guards who tug on the chain around your neck and drag you closer to them. They pin you down as Dr. Lee kneels by your side. She pulls out a blue vial and readies it with a syringe. Lining it up at a vein she looks into your eyes sadly.
"This will hurt a lot. I'm sorry." She plunges it in and forces the contents of the vial into your blood stream. Instantly you feel a wave of pain begin burning through your body like molten lava. You could see under the skin the luminescent liquid working it's way through your entire body. You scream and cry out in pain but are too weak to fight. She sighs and stand up, turning to the guards.
"Knock her out, please."
"Wha-" is all you can get out before a kick to the head knocks you unconscious.