Memories of Winter

Punished.

"Stop!" James shouted. How hurt was she?

"James, don't!" Natalia cried out, but Anya gagged her muffling her warning.

James threw the knife aside and held his hands up in surrender before kneeling and placing them behind his head. "Stop."

The remaining agents hesitantly stepped towards him, weapons raised. The fourth had got to his feet and charged forward angrily kneeing James in the face. James spat blood onto the dirt.
"Don't take it so personally," James retorted sarcastically.

Rumlow stalked down the hill and found the asset knelt before four of his team; if the assassin had wanted he could have killed them all; the girl's plan had worked.
"Ready to surrender big guy?"

The Winter Soldier turned to him, "You promise no harm will come to Natalia and you can have me. I won't resist."

Rumlow bent down to his level,
"I promise she won't be hurt further. You'll both live. That good enough?"

James swallowed then nodded lowering his hands. He and Rumlow stood and James allowed Rumlow to shackle him. The shackles were unlike anything he'd seen before heavy electro-magnetic cuffs that made his metal arm a useless dead weight to carry. Leading the way, Rumlow walked him to where Anya stood next to a bound and gagged Natalia. Her face was streaked with bloody, dirty tears. The sight made James wretched.

"It's OK, Natalia," he whispered to her. "It's over. This is the only way."

Natalia shook her head as fresh tears spilt from her eyes. Anya smiled; predictable heart. Anya motioned with her baton and an agent dragged Natalia to her feet.

Rumlow motioned to Rollins, "Round up our people, dead, alive, whatever. Clean it up."

Rollins nodded and left with the few agents who were still mobile.

It didn't take the STRIKE team long, an array of injured and alive agents carried the dead and along with the captives they all headed to the jet.

In the jet, Anya sat smugly surveying her prizes, considering her accomplishment. The jet would be in New York soon, but she couldn't help but let the pair know how they were doomed and how it had all been her plan. Hers; the girl they had deemed unfit to graduate to their ranks.

"The Winter Soldier, the world's greatest assassin, disgraced his position and allowed himself to be captured. You became predictable, all in the name of what? True love?"

James glared at Anya, her combat training had improved since they'd last seen her, but he'd not seen this side coming. She'd gathered intelligence on them and planned a successful capture. How had she known it would work?  How had she known he and Natalia were intimate enough to make such sacrifices?

Anya turned her disparaging look to Natalia sat opposite her, with Rumlow beside her. She was evidently in pain from her broken leg. Her head rested on the interior as though holding it straight and upright was too difficult.
"You're true love, is he not, Natalia?"

Natalia like James simply stared silently at their old protege.

"Traitors to the Red Room will be dealt with severely."

James growled, "You promised she wouldn't be hurt."

"And she won't be lover boy, but there will be consequences."

"What do you get Anya?" Natalia mumbled.

"Your capture was my mission in order to graduate. I shall be a spider like you Widow, but more; I shall be Recluse."