Barnes

The Wipe (Prologue)

"Sergeant Barnes," whispered a man in a nasally German accent, somewhere in the back of his mind, "the procedure has already begun." So many things happened all at once. So many memories coming back, so many things the Winter Soldier was remembering but not really remembering, a man - a man he knew, a man he cared about - calling him Bucky, calling his name as he plummeted from a train, down into a snowy abyss. He barely regained consciousness, catching a glimpse of his missing arm and the trail of dark red blood the stump left in the white snow as he was dragged, then he faded out again. He woke back up in a laboratory of sorts, a group of men in surgical scrubs and masks standing around, checking the monitors, writing something down, walking. He lifted his formerly missing arm to find that it was no longer missing, and was now made entirely of metal. He was dazed and confused and scared, he couldn't figure out what was going on, but he wanted someone. He wanted the man who he saw as he fell from that train. He wanted his best friend. He turned to the doctor beside him and grabbed the man by the throat, his mechanical arm several times stronger than his old human arm. He felt a syringe being jabbed into his chest, and, quick as a snap, he was gone again.

"You are to be... the new face of Hydra." whispered the same nasally voice. The Winter Soldier opened his eyes and a short, balding man stood before him. His vision swam and he was unconscious once more. He felt himself being shoved into a tall, circular container, then felt everything rapidly grow very cold. As he quickly froze, he set his jaw and stared at the men outside the window of the freezer, putting as much venom into the glare as he could as he finally froze  up. He was only frozen for what felt like seconds before he began thawing, now standing in a completely different place. An old bank. There were new man, a group of Americans (he could tell from their accents), one man with a name tag reading PIERCE, ALEXANDER. Bucky's breathing sped up, he didn't know what to do, what to think. He didn't know anything. His mind was a blank slate. The doctors opened the door, dragging him out kicking and screaming, before a syringe was stabbed into his arm, and he was gone.

But this was months ago. Maybe even years. Suddenly it was present day, and Bucky threw his arm out, hitting whatever was nearest. It ended up being a doctor, and within seconds there were men in SWAT gear surrounding him, all aiming their guns at his heart. The Winter Soldier grit his teeth. He heard footsteps, then the opening of a heavy door, and then it closed. Alexander Pierce stood before him, just out of arms reach. The Soldier stared at the older man, seething.

"Who are you?" Said Pierce. The soldier slowly breathed in through his nose and exhaled slowly. Bucky refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing he was in pain, that he was scared.

"My name is James Buchanan Barnes." Came his bitter reply through clenched teeth, bracing himself as he awaited what he knew would come next.

Slap.

"You are the Winter Soldier. Who is Captain America?" The voice asked, sounding bored. Something in Bucky clicked as he moved his jaw around, and he remembered. Yes, he was that man on the train. Captain America saved his life before that. He was Steve Rogers. He was his friend.

"Captain America is my ally." He whispered, clenching his fists.

Slap.

"Captain America is your mission." Bucky heard the man standing above him sigh in exasperation, followed by the scribbling of a pen on paper. "Try again. Who. Are. You."

"My name is-"

Slap.

"You are the Winter Soldier-"

"Captain America is my ally." Bucky interjected, eyes squeezed tightly shut. His voice was at a whisper and he was more reassuring himself of these things than just stubbornly denying Pierce an answer to his satisfaction.

Slap.

"Captain America is your MISSION."

"I am James Buchanan Barnes." His voice rose slightly, wavering at the end.

SLAP.

"YOU are the WINTER SOLDIER!" Boomed Pierce.

"STEVE ROGERS IS MY FRIEND!" Bucky yelled, red in the face. His eyes watered slightly and he tried to sit up, and the soldiers advanced, but they had no need to go any closer.

SLAP!

Bucky hissed in pain, still unable to open his eyes. His fists clenched and unclenched angrily, breath coming in and out as sharp bursts through his nose. His chest heaved. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He was strapped to a table and didn't fight against the restraints that held him down, though he knew that escaping them wouldn't be a problem. The problem would be fighting the tens of guards that he just /knew/ were surrounding him, their guns aimed at his chest.

"WIPE HIM AGAIN!" Came Pierce's harsh yell, a yell Bucky was all too familiar with, then the sound of two doors opening, footsteps furiously exiting the room, the slam of the doors. Bucky felt something rubber being shoved into his mouth and he didn't fight it; he knew better. He bit down on the retainer as he felt the metal machine being moved to close in either side of his head. His breathing quickened. All he thought about was Steve, laughing with him just before they rode that zip line. He didn't remember anything else; just that, just him. Just the falling and the procedure and how he was still alive. Bucky still didn't open his eyes.

He heard the flip of the lever, saw a bright light from behind his eyelids, then felt white hot pain, everywhere, all at once. He screamed from behind the retainer, knuckles white from how hard he was clenching his fists. He kicked madly, every muscle in his body tensing as he squinted his eyes tightly shut. His back arched off the table and in his last moments before falling unconscious, he repeated the two answers he knew he would forget over and over in his mind.

'I am James Buchanan Barnes. Steve Rogers is my friend. Captain America is my friend.'

And then he fell under.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Multiple hours later:

He was sat up on the operating table, restraints gone save for the handcuffs holding his wrists to where he sat, staring at the wall across from him. His back was straight and he barely moved aside from his breathing and blinking.

A man he recognized as his creator walked slowly into the room, standing just out of reach.

"Who are you." Alexander Pierce asked slowly.

"I am the Winter Soldier" the man with the mechanical arm replied with no hesitation.

"Good." Crooned the older male, grinning wickedly. "Who is Captain America?" The soldier's jaw twitched and he blinked slowly.

"Captain America is my mission." He said slowly, flatly. His mind played the same two things on repeat, slowly, over and over,  and he felt no remorse or pity or pain or... anything. The old man's grin grew.

"Perfect."