Till the End of the Line

Consequences

The ride back the base was a quiet one. Actually the only sound to be heard was the chopper blades whirring. 

Becca found herself wishing they'd malfunction and she'd plummet from the sky.

It would be a much better fate than what would surely come when she arrived back home.

Home.

She couldn't believe she even thought of that wretched place like that.

That wasn't home.

Home was where she and her brother would climb the cherry tree

Home was where her mother would dance with her in the kitchen while they'd make soup.

Home was burying her nose into piles of books at her library, or talking to her teacher about World War Two.

Home was where her heart ached to be.

Home was destroyed.

No, the HYDRA base wasn't her home. It wasn't even close

Her home had open walls and sunlight and freedoms. 

The base had thick brick walls and ice and darkness.

No, she lived in a prison.

A prison she could never escape. 

The helicopter ride seemed to go by too quickly. Her mentor hadn't given her more than a glare every once in a while.

Becca could only wonder what was going on in his mind. Maybe he was as scared as she was? Maybe he was thinking of ways to punish her. Maybe he was...she shuddered as that thought popped into her head, and quickly shoved it back out. 

He may hate her, but not that much...right?

Her thoughts were interrupted by his gruff voice. 

"Up. Now. We must report to Karpov."

Becca stiffened at the name. She'd met the man a handful of times. He was a slimeball who liked to throw his power around, but he was also in charge, and he wasn't the type to show mercy. 

The walk down the halls towards the debriefing room seemed too quick and too slow at the same time.

She'd failed her first mission. She'd failed to hit the target, instead killing an innocent child and nearly blowing their cover. Add that to the fact that she'd gotten shot on her last mission...she just hoped her punishment was something she could survive. 

The Soldier and Becca made their way into the debriefing room. Soldier stood tall, his mask still on along with his gear. Becca couldn't read his blue eyes. He was probably pissed at her.

Karpov was already there waiting for them, and he was not happy. He stood up the moment the two of them were seated.

"You failed, Soldat." He hissed, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of hatred, disgust, and indifference. He dusted an imaginary speck of dust off his pristinely pressed blue suit, leaning on his cane.

"You had a mission. You failed that mission. And you." He points at Becca. Becca notices that the Soldier takes a tiny step in front of her, instinctively.

"You have disgraced the name of HYDRA. You have failed two times!" He stalked closer to Becca, raising his cane and striking her across the face with a sharp crack. She felt the skin split and start to bleed before the pain steps in. 

The Soldier steps in, catching the cane before it can come down on her again.

Karpov arched an eyebrow. 

"What's this? Stand down Soldat."

He did not. He stood there, eyes filled with an emotion she couldn't quite place. He was protecting her, but she wasn't sure why.

"Soldat. I gave you an order. Step. Out. Of. My. Way." Karpov growled, his face getting slightly red.

Becca held her hand up to her cheek, it came away red.

"No." 

The Soldier's voice rang out loud and clear. A defiant action. One that a compliant machine should do. Something someone compromised would do. Something someone who had gotten attached would do. 

Karpov was furious, Becca was confused. 

"I'll ask you one more time. MOVE." Karpov roared. 

He didn't budge. Instead he used his metal arm to snap his cane in two.

"No."

Karpov was absolutely livid. He waved over four HYDRA lackeys and they lunged at The Asset. HE tried to fight them off best he could, but they overpowered him quickly, attaching a device to his metal arm that made him go limp. 

Becca watched in horror as they kicked his knees out from under him, forcing his to kneel. How they punched him repeatedly, in the face, the stomach, the chest. She watched as they tied his hands behind his back and tazed him when he resisted. She watched the strong man she knew be reduced to a shell of a person in front of her eyes.

Something in her snapped. She launched herself at the four men, kicking, screaming, biting, punching. She did all she could to protect her mentor, but in the end they both were on their knees, heads bowed and arms tied. 

Karpov loomed over them. 

"The two of you make a good team." He mused.

"But you have become unstable. Noncompliance is not tolerated here. We have kept him," he gestures at the Soldier, "out of cryo for much too long. And you," he kicked Becca in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her, "you will be a valuable asset to HYDRA. The two of you make a good team. But we do not need you for the foreseeable future."

He turned to some technicians that were holding clipboards and checking monitors, awaiting further instructions/

"Wipe them both. I want partial Blank Slate protocol, leave their relationship with each other intact. We need them to continue their work together in the future.

Becca saw her mentor stiffen at the words Blank Slate protocol. It was the first time he'd shown any emotion during this entire conversation. That terrified her.

Everyone left the room for a moment to prep for the mind wipe, leaving them alone.

"Becca." The Soldier said earnestly.

"Becca I need to do something. When we wake up, we won't remember. We won't remember what we meant to each other. Hell, I don't even know if I'll remember my own name." He paused, turning to search Becca's purple eyes, his icy blue ones filled with a fear and a longing she'd never seen there before.

he voice dropped down to a whisper.

"But I have to..I can't keep lying to myself about what you are to me. What you mean to me." His voice cracked and he leaned closer, pressing his forehead against hers. She felt wetness on her face before she registered he was crying. His voice was barely a whisper now.

"I don't know why, or how but..." he didn't finish his sentence, instead pressed his lips to hers gently.

The kiss took her by surprise. His lips were dry and cracked from the cold, as she imagined hers were too. But it felt...right. It felt like it was supposed to happen that way.

Becca's breath hitched as they kissed. It only lasted a second because then she felt rough hands pulling her away from him. Away from her Soldier, her Bucky. 

Her vision became wet with tears, but she could see Bucky being dragged in the opposite direction, his face filled with panic. He didn't say anything, just mouthed three words.

"I love you."

She knew that. Somehow she'd always known that, and she knew she loved him too. And that had consequences.