Animalia // Barnes

Chapter Twelve: Welcome Home

~BARNES~

I sit in one of the familiar interrogation rooms from a HYDRA compound. The air is thick with dust from little use. Complete silence engulfs the room, driving me insane. My wrists are handcuffed to a metal chair, which is bolted to the ground. The cuffs have disabled my metal arm, and leave no space for me to move my real hand.

I didn't see Mel when we were attacked. She hasn't been taken by HYDRA like the rest of us, but I didn't see her leave the building. She could be dead, her lifeless body hidden beneath the rubble of Stark Tower. The images of her dulled eyes and bloody body bring tears to my eyes. She is one of the few ties I have to my past and she's either dead, or in hiding. I'll never see her beautiful golden eyes again, or her sarcastic smirk.

Anger builds inside of me, a familiar feeling. Even if she did survive, she's alone in a city she can't remember, with no one to tell her how to act remotely normal. She's going to be as clueless as I was. The door to the interrogation room opens, revealing a very smug Melony Vandenberg. "Welcome home Winter Soldier." She says with fein kindness. "My name is Bucky." I bark back. Melony pulls another metal chair into the room, sitting on it backwards and leaning her arms in the backrest. Her blonde hair is pinned up into a bun, pale blue fingernails, blouse and pencil skirt looking strange in such a dark, dismal place.

"Do you know why you are here Mister Barnes?" She asks, appearing genuine. "Because HYDRA blew up my current housing and threw me into a cell away from my friends." I question. Melony looks at the ground and smiles. "You see, that's the problem with S.H.I.E.L.D. and The Avengers. You never know the full story, not that it's your fault. Your leaders only do what is best for themselves. HYDRA is like this too, a terrible organisation, in fact I loathe it, but it is the only one that will help me achieve my goal."

"And what is your goal?"

"To destroy S.H.I.E.L.D. and Nick Fury."

I sit in my first cell, the one where I saw my new arm for the first time. Crashes sound from all over the building, screams of agony right outside my door. The door is blow open by a fiery inferno, two women storming into the room, one blonde, one red-haired, each armed with hand guns.

"The Winter Soldier has been found. Commander Vandenberg and I are staying with the subject to stop any HYDRA leaders from taking him to another facility. Over and out." The red-head says into a com on her shoulder. Both women are dressed in HYDRA uniforms, their hair tied back in sleek ponytails.

I start to jump off of my seat, ready to fight the potential S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. The red-head notices, swiftly shooting me in the calf and lower abdomen before I can get onto my feet. Instead of bullets, some form of taser launches at me, deactivating my metal arm and sending me convulsing to the ground. The red-haired woman walks over, towering above me and staring me down with her brown eyes. "Don't. Move." She orders.

I continue to lay on the ground for another hour, the taser still leaving my muscles numb. Waiting for something to happen is agonising, as the only thing happening is the continuous pacing of Vandenberg, explosions and screams. "What do you want from me?" I ask the blonde. She turns to me, a genuinely bored expression on her features. She rolls her eyes, poking her head through the doorway.

"HYDRA leaders neutralised. All remaining agents and subjects in holding cells waiting to be questioned. Over." A male voice says from the blonde's com. "Roger that." Vandenberg responds. "Over and out." I attempt to move my fleshy hand to no avail, the tips of my fingers starting to have feeling return to them. The blonde smiles widely, embracing the red-head. "We did it." The red-head croaks. "Yeah, we did, but it's not over yet." Vandenberg replies. "We're only halfway to vengeance."

The red-haired woman frowns, seeming hesitant to answer. "Yeah, we are."

Melony Vandenberg smiles, still seated in her chair in front of me. "I know you remember things, Mister Barnes. If Subject K041 can, you can." I keep a stony expression, my years as The Winter Soldier helping hide my emotions. "Mel can't remember anything. You saw to that." I argue. Melony's smile drops. "I did what was necessary. I don't have to explain myself to you." She stands, leaving her chair behind and opening the heavy iron door to leave.

"Was killing the old HYDRA leaders necessary? Was killing Mel necessary?" I yell. Melony's eyes widen. "Mel is dead?" She questions. I widen my own eyes. She was the one who blew up the building! How could she not know about casualties? "You blew up Stark Tower! She was still asleep. She never left the building..." I say, trailing off. Tears fill my eyes. Screw emotionless. Another person I care about to add to the list of the dead.

"Mel can't be dead. That's not how this is supposed to work. This is not what was supposed to happen." Melony says, leaving the room. I hear her slump against the door, sighing. "Commander Surdens!" She hollers, her heels clicking as she steamrolls through the hallways. My thoughts wander to the flashback as Vandenberg fades away.

Why the hell was Mel working with Melony?