The new Battle

Chapter 13: What's best?

Bethany's P.O.V

"So he did do it?" Tony asked, after Deanna had explained what happened.

"We know he did it anyway, it was on the tape." Deanna snapped, an ice pack held to the bruise forming in her back.

"He broke from the mind control for a period of time." I said, my hands folded in my laps and eyes watching as I fiddled with my signet ring. "He must have known we'd need the files for something."

"I thought HYDRAs brainwashing was unbreakable." Steve said as he paced in front of me and Deanna.

"It's not completely unbreakable." I resorted. "It becomes weaker over time and usually breaks when they are reminded of something, but by then HYDRA normally has them go through the whole process again. The only reason we broke it was because HYDRA couldn't get to us after we had seen all the memories."

"So it is like a spell, some sort of magic?" Thor asked, his face twisting into one of confusion.

"I guess so." I shrugged. "But the question is how did it break both times, neither time did he have anything with him to remember."

"The second time seemed to come from Deanna beating him up." Clint piped up, a smirk spread across his face. Steve glared at both archers but neither seemed to take notice.

"It must be becoming weak by itself." Sofia thought aloud. "If what Director Fury said was true, about HYDRA being run my armatures, then they might have forgot to redo it, assuming he'd be fine after having it done a few times over."

"It seems plausible." Bruce agreed. "But it doesn't last long when he becomes Sargent Barnes again."

"Surely it will become longer over time until he's snapped out of it completely." Steve argued.

"That might be the case but how long are we willing to hold him and wait?" Sofia asked. "Fury is going to want to do a check soon on how we're doing. He's still the Director and will have us finish him if we keep him too long surely."

"You seem to side with the Director more than us Miss Donald." Steve growled.

"That's because unlike us she works completely under Fury while we have leeway." Deanna argued, standing up and staring at Steve. "But she's right, when it comes to it, it will be Fury's call not ours."

"We could try what we did with the girls." Bruce spoke. "But there's no guarantee it will work."

"There's no guarantee in anything we do Bruce." I sighed, rubbing my temples.

"Why are we even discussing this?" Steve asked aloud. "We have to help him!"

"Who's to say it will work Steve?" Natasha asked. "We don't know him well enough, none of us do now. We could try but what if we get him back for say a week, then he snaps and kills us all while we sleep huh? We can't trust him Steve that's the hard truth about this."

"Why can't you see he can be helped?" Steve questioned angrily.

"We don't know that!" Deanna yelled.

"Are you really going to argue with me over what I think is best for my best friend?" Steve asked the small blonde, rage flooding his body.

"He was your best friend Rodgers, right now he doesn't even know who you are!" Deanna snapped, her eyes turning dark grey. "And for your information he's mine and Bethany's prisoner so it's our call before its Fury's"

"That's enough guys!" I yelled, jumping to my feet and getting in between them. "Deanna's right Steve it's our call but before anything happens we can try to help him. But his memories will be from seventy years ago, whether he will remember at all is a different story."

Deanna rolled her eyes and walked out of the room, most likely either heading to the office or training room. "Do you really have to argue with her?" I asked Steve, sighing.

"Look I'm not the one who starts it." Steve defended.

"You are Cap." Clint sighed. "You listen to Beth but not Deanna, they're both leading this."

"When she starts just leave her." I advised. "Don't argue back or question it, it just fuels her anger then she'll snap at you."

"And Cap?" Natasha called. "Who's the trained assassin out of both of you? The one who's been trained for every situation we've been in?"

"I thought she was an assassin in training?" Sofia said in confusion.

"She was." Clint chuckled. "She's no longer a trainee."