Animalia // Barnes

Chapter One: Subject K041

~BARNES~

My shoes click against the hard stone flooring of Stark Tower. I spot Steve in the distance, followed by Wanda, who is covered from head to toe in black and red. "Bucky," Steve calls. "are you coming to the briefing?" I sigh, inwardly hating myself for agreeing to go. "Yep," I reply. Steve chuckles. "I don't understand why you even want me to go, I'm not a part of The Avengers."

Steve sighs. "I want them to get used to you being around Bucky. Some of them don't like change." I jog to Steve as Wanda stands there awkwardly, waiting for me to catch up. She fiddles with a loose thread on her woollen jacket. Once I reach them, we begin to make our way to the briefing rooms once more, except with a much faster pace.

"Wanda, how about you keep going? Vision should be there soon. Buck and I will catch up with you later." Steve says. Wanda nods, flashing a quick smile, she turns to her left, opening her mouth, as if she was going to say something to the empty space next to her. She sighs sadly, walking toward the corridor near Vision's room. Steve waits for her to leave before continuing his walk, taking his time. "Are you okay Buck? You've seemed a bit distracted lately." He asks, concern laced through his voice.

"I'm fine. I've just been having less of my memories come back lately. I think I've remembered everything, y'know? But at the same time, there's this massive gap, like a void in my memory. Something feels off."

Steve nods.

We make our way to the briefing room, the beams of sunlight flooding my side through the glass wall. They warm my flesh arm, along with my face. I smile, feeling at peace for once. The door to the briefing room looms up ahead, it's metal door menacing in comparison to the glass hallway. Steve opens the door, the familiar dim lighting reaching my eyes.

"Female, late twenties, known as Subject K041." Steve announces as I take my seat. A picture of a tall, red-haired woman with yellow eyes appears on the screen, a split lip and black eye masking some of her facial features. Her expression is a familiar one, and I find myself searching for every line and freckle on her face. "Subject K041 has recently escaped HYDRA laboratories and has the ability to transform herself and any part of her body into that of an animal. She is potentially dangerous so you should approach-"

My body is thrown into the side of a HYDRA cell, my head smashing the wall, making my vision blurry. I suppress a groan, my metal arm refusing to move. I pick myself up from the ground, hobbling over to the bolted steel door. I slam my fist against the door, a loud clang echoing throughout the room. "Let me out you-"

"Your yelling will only entertain them." I hear a feminine voice say from behind me. "They take great pleasure in seeing your pain." I turn around slowly, only to see a red-haired girl with her arms wrapped around her knees, tears falling from her golden, pulsing eyes. "Who are you?" I ask, taking a tentative step forward.

"I don't know." She replies.

"Why are you here?"

"Because HYDRA are a pack of assholes."

"Why are you crying?"

"I can't remember."

"Why can't you remember?" I ask, feeling as though I already know the answer.

"Because they steal my memories."

I blink furiously, trying to recall what else had happened. "Mister Barnes?" Fury asks, the whole room looking in my direction. "Buck, are you okay?" Steve says worriedly. "Yeah, fine." I respond, slightly short of breath. Steve's face remains unconvinced, however Fury seems to believe me. "As I was saying, Captain Rogers and Miss Maximoff will be in charge of this mission. I want Mister Barnes to participate as well, as you've had experience inside of HYDRA experimentation."

My expression fills with confusion at the sight before me, my mouth completely agape. "Director Fury, don't you think there is someone better suited to the job?" Asks Natasha. Fury sighs, exasperated. "Wanda and Mister Barnes were both experimented on by HYDRA, making it easier for them to make a connection with the subject and gain her trust."

Clint forms a gun with his fingers and blows the top of it, as if blowing away smoke. "Shots fired." He mumbles. "Do we know anything about where she came from or where she is?" Natasha asks while glaring at Clint. If looks could kill. "We haven't been able to find her origins, but we have been able to track her on a select few security cameras, meaning that HYDRA likely has as well."

"So where are we going?" Tony asks.

"Kansas." Fury replies.

"Pack your bags folks. We're going to Oz." Tony announces.

Thor's face comforts on confusion. "What is this Oz realm that you speak of? I do not recall Man of Iron informing me of such a place on Midguard."

Steve laughs. "I understood that reference."

***

I walk into the aircraft, my thoughts still do dominated by the mysterious girl. She seemed German and was definitely younger in the flashbacks. She might have been in her early twenties. But that seemed so long ago. "Bucky," A familiar Sokovian accent beckons from behind me. "you do not need to suit up, you will be dressed in regular clothing. Steve and I have discussed that you are the best of us to talk to the girl." I quirk up my left eyebrow. "I am?" I ask. "Yes, Steve is not the best suited to speak to her and you are much better at combat than myself."

"Um, alright." I mumble, not sure if I'm pleased about the situation. This is my first mission that I've ever taken part in, and I don't even know this girl - or at least I can't remember knowing her. "We're ready to leave." Tony announces from behind me.

"Well then let's go." I say, anticipation flowing through my veins.