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1970
The relentless training sessions merged into a never-ending cycle of agony and frustration. The Hydra operatives showed no mercy, and the Winter Soldier, despite his stoic demeanor, became a symbol of both fear and impossible standards. The constant repetition of drills, the grueling physical exercises, and the unyielding demands of perfection wore me down.
I couldn't remember how many days or weeks had passed. Time became an abstract concept, and the training room transformed into a nightmarish arena where failure had dire consequences. The pain in my body became a constant companion, and the only solace I found was in the brief moments of respite granted during the so-called "Winter Breaks."
During these breaks, I was escorted back to my stark cell, where I would collapse onto the cold, unforgiving floor. The Hydra operatives monitored my every move, ensuring that any sign of weakness was met with swift punishment. The Winter Soldier, too, remained a silent presence, watching over me with an unreadable gaze.
As the days wore on, a gradual numbness settled over me. And at the end of the day I was escorted to a hallway filled with capsule like machines, and they'd open the door, and The physical pain blended with the mental torment, creating a haze of desolation. I questioned whether I was still human or merely a vessel for Hydra's twisted experiments. What am I talking about? I am a vessel - Apricity, the deadly weapon.
One day, as I stood in the training room, battered and bruised, the Winter Soldier approached me. His expression remained unreadable, but for the first time, there was a flicker of something resembling empathy in his eyes. Without a word, he extended his metal arm, offering a hand of unexpected support.
I hesitated, unsure of his intentions, but the exhaustion and desperation overpowered my skepticism. I grasped his cold, metallic hand, and he pulled me up with an unexpected gentleness. It was a brief moment of connection, a silent acknowledgment of shared suffering in the midst of Hydra's cruel machinations. He wouldn't let go of my hand the moment I was up, I looked around wondering why we weren't being reprimanded, but then it hit.
There was no one in the room. It was just us. Alone.
His ice cold eyes that belonged to the winter looked into mine, he looked... Hurt.
Hurt for who? Me? Himself?
As we gazed into each others eyes, I felt my own brim with tears, a wave of guilt, agony, and fear washing over me from seemingly no where. That knocked me out of his icy cold trance, and I quickly pulled my hand away from his. The Winter Soldier's gaze remained steady, and for a moment, the intense connection between us lingered. It was as if the mask of the Hydra operative had momentarily slipped, revealing a human underneath. I couldn't comprehend the emotions that passed between us in that brief encounter, but it left an indelible mark on my fractured psyche.
