Eclipse - Book 1 (Born at Dusk)

29

December 18th, 1991

The Winter Soldier's metal hand gripped Kate's face with such force she feared he'd break her jaw. His fingers pressed into her cheek, bruising her flesh.

Kate's hands were cuffed behind her back, there was no need for continuous struggle. She was kneeling, Bucky's grip forcing her gaze upwards with unmasked fear.

Karpov looked down at her with disgust, the gun in his hand steady.

"Do you prefer English, doctor?" He asked, his voice scratching through his throat. "You were born speaking it, I supposed you'd want to die hearing it."

Kate jerked but only received a hard yank as Bucky refocused her gaze on Karpov.

"What were your intentions?" He asked with practiced fluidity. He looked her in the eye, resting his gun on her chin while he surveyed her face, detecting a lie.

Kate said nothing.

Kill me.

I need you to kill me.

Karpov cocked the gun.

"What did you plan to do? Hmmm? Make your own super soldier? Is this one not good enough for you?"

Kate held her ground, breathing heavily.

She has no intention of making her own super soldier. The idea was far from her own motives.

When the Winter Soldier was tasked with killing Howard Stark, she snapped. She'd already erased herself from James' memories weeks before, and his mission was her breaking point.

He came back with a replica for the super soldier serum, and the news of the assassinated Howard and Maria Stark. He'd stolen super soldier serum. Five doses. And Kate had stolen them from him.

Whether she could keep them hidden or not, if she kept them from Karpov long enough, he'd kill her to get the answer. He would do anything to keep the doses, even if it meant replacing her.

All she had to do was hold out through the torture long enough for him to just kill her.

"Where are they?" Karpov asked with a calm, lethal tone.

Kate spit in his face.

He stepped back, calmly pulling a kerchief from his pocket to wipe his face before signaling to the Winter Soldier.

His hands switched, his right hand gripping her jaw as his left moved to her spin. He grabbed the metal through her clothes, digging his fingers into her flesh as he pulled.

Kate screamed, her vision burning as her entire body went into shock. Millions of nerves were connected to her spine, and each one flexed as if being run through with fire.

Her body seized and convulsed, her vision darkening for several moments as wave after wave of pain rolled through her. Kate felt his hand recede but the pain was still there, her flesh likely bleeding from where he'd touched.

As Kate struggled to breath, her body slowly relaxing, the Winter Soldier gripped her jaw again, forcing her to look at Karpov.

He frowned at her, tilting his head. "Where are they?"

Kate said nothing, looking at the wall behind him, willing herself to the torture she knew she'd get the angrier he got.

Karpov struck her across the face but she didn't move, the Winter Soldier forcing her to look at him again.

"I am only going to ask this once more," Karpov breathed, signaling to the Winter Soldier. His hand around her throat tightened, cutting her breathing short. "Where are they?"