What If...? Rumlow Turned Against Hydra: Book One

17

"I estimate we have no more than thirty minutes, from now. I don't think an alarm was raised, but someone here will be expected to check in somehow and once they don't this place will be surrounded," Rumlow said as all three of them began to gather laptops, file folders from the labs, phones and tablets. Military style duffel bags had been found in what looked like a locker room for the security teams, being stuffed to capacity.

"I assume we don't want to start a war right here?" Romanov looked at Barnes, curiously. Rumlow had no idea whether he could fight his way free from that scenario, but after seeing Barnes in action in the warehouse, he knew the Winter Soldier would be able to do so.

"No, this was meant as a distraction and we need to be seen to be careful. If we're not, Steve could be moved, and security around him tightened further," was the response from Barnes.

She nodded and continued in her task. Rumlow couldn't help but stare at Barnes out of the corner of his eye, hoping he wasn't noticed doing so. He'd seen many things in his childhood that would count as disturbing. He'd participated in operations and missions as a STRIKE team member and later leader that were beyond disturbing but he'd always been able to compartmentalize. not worrying about any of it later. What he'd watched the Winter Soldier do was beyond any of it, if only because one man had become nothing more than a force for absolute slaughter. Rumlow could feel a sense of awe that he hadn't felt since he'd first been allowed to know of Project Insight, disconcerting him. He hadn't thought he could still feel such things after breaking with Hydra. He was in awe of Barnes' abilities in battle as well as what he'd managed to build in Madripoor. He was ready to fall in line behind the Winter Soldier no matter what, making him wonder what was wrong with him. He'd just left a group, he shouldn't have any desire to join another, but he was beginning to think he had always wanted to work for the Winter Soldier, though he hadn't known it. He'd just been distracted by Hydra for too many years to try and find anything else.

He grabbed another laptop, stuffing it in a bag before disconnecting a hard drive tower and also putting it into a bag. Any and all potential access to the Zola AI program had to be taken to be given to the part of the Winter Soldier's organization best suited to handle it. As he reached for another hard drive, he paused, looking at one of the computer monitors that would only be dead weight for them to carry out of the warehouse. The screen, set to some form of home screen with multiple files saved on the desktop flickered, causing him to frown. The flicker happened again, more noticeably until the normal looking desktop disappeared as a strangely formed face appeared on the screen, so ridiculously rendered it was as if a computer had tried to imagine a human face, instead creating a digitized monstrosity.

"Rumlow," the voice with the German accent said, the image moving as if it was actually talking. "You aren't made to be anything but ours. You can still come back to Hydra, if you give us Sergeant Barnes and Natasha Romanov."

"Does that kind of crap ever work for you?" Rumlow asked in disgust. He called Barnes and Romanov to him. All three of them stared at the image that called itself Zola.

"I think I've been very successful," was the very smug reply. "I will live forever, and you will die very soon. As will Romanov. Barnes will be back where he belongs, never to leave Hydra's service."
Rumlow clenched his jaw at that. Romanov turned away as if she didn't have time for the AI that was currently making everything they had to do more difficult. Barnes stepped forward, hiding her from the view of the screen, in case it could actually see around the room. Rumlow noticed Romanov sending some form of message on her phone; she was in touch with the people who were trying to stop the Zola AI.

"You could save time by telling us exactly where Steve Rogers is," Barnes said in the quiet, unnaturally even tones Rumlow associated with the Winter Soldier.