Little Winter

Chapter 2

WINTER'S P.O.V

"Target has left the building, Sir, would you like us to acquire target?" Rumlow asked his boss over an earpiece.
"No give the file to the asset and let him deal with it, I need you back at base Rumlow" Alexander Pierce, current leader of HYDRA replied.
Rumlow and his strike team where situated in different areas around the targets flat. Rumlow stood opposite the building wearing very causal clothes, to not raise suspicion. The rest of his team where the same way. They had guns on them, as always.
"Yes boss, strike team pull out and return to base" Rumlow ordered.
"Winter, she's yours" he added at the end.
Winter Soldier, the asset, had also had a change of attire, wearing dark jeans and a red top, with a brown leather jacket on top. He also wore a baseball cap to prevent anyone noticing him.
He was positioned just down the street from Rumlow.
Rumlow was heading his way and he deliberately bumped into him, Rumlow quickly slipping him the file.
"Sorry about that" Rumlow said to avoid anyone getting second thoughts.
The asset nodded and slid the file under his jacket. The men went there separate ways. Rumlow had been watching the target for a few days but he had been called away so the asset was sent in to complete the mission. He slipped into an alley and removed the file. He quickly glanced over the information that he needed and dumped it in the nearest bin. The target was walking up the street in the opposite direction and the asset followed. Today's mission was to observe the targets routine and habits and he didn't have the kill order.
He followed her keeping a safe distance and crossing sides often to avoid suspicion. He memorised every road and person she walked and talked to. He saw her go down an alleyway with a bag of stolen objects and return with a fifty dollar note. He watched as she bought food at a discounted price. Although he was on the opposite side of the road, the super serum had given him advanced hearing capabilities.
He followed her home, slipping into a building as she went into hers.
As he lay flat on the roof of the building with a pair of binoculars glued to his eyes, he observed the target look through the window. For once he wondered what she was thinking about. This was weird behaviour for the asset and he quickly snapped out of it. As the target closed the curtains he turned on the thermal optics in the HYDRA binoculars. He saw the outline of a small figure crumpled into a ball on a thin surface, probably a mattress of some sort. He couldn't help notice the thermal lines moving quickly, the target appeared to be shaking. It was cold but the asset didn't feel it. He was trained in worse conditions. He decided to contact Pierce
"Target has returned to primary location" he said in a deep America accent.
"Good, do you have all the information you need?" Pierce asked.
"Yes" the asset replied bluntly.
"Fantastic, I have Rumlow here and I have no one to help you but I trust you can take care of this your self?" He questioned.
"Yes" the asset replied.
"Perfect, another file will be delivered tomorrow with further instructions, sleep well...солдат(soldier)" Pierce responded, breaking before saying the last word.
The asset didn't reply. He gathered his equipment and headed into the abandoned building below him.
He was thinking about the information he had received about the target, like he did with every mission. He mentally read out the list:
Name: Harper Rudd
Age: 16 1/2
Sex: female
Height: 5"4
Weight: 8.9 stone
Eye colour: blue
Hair colour: brown
I.D: four inch scar along left side of abdomen.
Additional Notes: lives alone, no close family or friends, no job, arrested 6 months ago for theft and released the following day. Unknown if target has any combat skills.

Easy target the asset thought. He just wanted to get this over and done with. He was better at the killing part than the waiting part. However a mission is a mission and he would complete it perfectly, no matter how long he had to wait.

04:30 in the morning:
Winters POV
He didn't sleep. He never did. Normally he wasn't used for night missions. It was easier for him to stay awake. He had positioned himself beside the window so he had a clear view of the targets apartment. A handgun and the file lay next to him on a small wooden table.
He was looking at the surrounding building when I light turned on within the targets apartment. He instantly reached for the loaded hand gun and held in beside him. A small figure exited the building and walked down the stairs. He scanned the figure, about 5"4 with dark hair, his target. He wasn't expecting this but he wasn't panicking either. He kept his eyes glued to the target. He never though of her as a girl or a person, by calling her the target it would make the killing bit easier. It always did.
The target approached the pavement, bare footed. The target looked left and right along the road and went right, heading away from the asset. He had memorised a map of the area, the only thing that was a couple of shops and a bridge. The target was putting distance between them and he would soon sight of the target. He grabbed the gun and placed in the the waist line of his jeans. He also grabbed a knife as a secondary. He went down the stairs and entered into the crisp cold night he glanced both ways, the target was the only person around. He could filled the target at distance and not arouse any suspicion. The target was walking a a quick pace, bare footed in a night gown. This slightly confused the asset. This was a new scenario for him.

Harper's POV
The night mares came flooding back to her in the middle of the night. She awoke, shaking like a tree and beads of sweat dropped from her body. She was freezing but that didn't bother her. She couldn't take this anymore. It was all too much. Her past was destroying her present and her future. She wanted to forget the pain, she wanted to die.
She had been contemplating suicide for a while. Under the sly cocky front she put up, lay a disturbed depressed young girl. It was too much. Too much. Then it hit her, the bridge down the road. She could do it if she wanted to, and she did want to.
Then her legs took over, she walked over to the door and turned on the light, taking in the place she called home one last time. She opened the door and walked down onto the pavement. There was no body around. She turned and headed towards the bridge. Tears began to well in her eyes. She was unaware of the large figure following her in the shadows.
She reached the bridge hat stood above a dried up river. It was a big drop, big enough she thought.
She forced her hands on to the railings and flipped her legs over so she was sitting on the rail.
"I'm sorry world, this is for the best" she said openly. Just before she took the step a male voice shouted at her.
"Wait, don't do it" he said. She snapped her head to her left to see a tall man dressed in a dark jacket and jeans and a cap.
"Trust me I need to do this" she replied ignoring his previous words.
"No you don't, I was the same way once" he pleaded. This got Harper's attention. She looked at the man.
"I hit rock bottom about two years ago, I had nothing to live for, nothing. But life got better, life always gets better and it will for you! Your young, you have a whole life in front of you, so please please don't jump" he replied, touching Harper's heart.
"When you've been through what I've been through, you forget about happy endings" she said tears rolling of her cheeks and into the abyss below her.
"What's your name sweetheart" he asked.
"Harper" she sniffed.
"Hi Harper, I'm...I'm John" he smiled. She could have sworn he just forgot his name.
"Harper I've been where you've been, don't do it , trust me life gets easier" he pleaded again.
He began to walk slowly over to her until he was an arms length from her.
"Please" he whispered staring into her bright blue eyes.
"Okay, I trust you...John" he whimpered. The man grabbed her arm and steadied her as she climbed back over and put her feet on solid ground.
"Thanks" she whispered.

Winters POV
As he walked behind , he thought of every possible thing that the target could be doing. However he was inconclusive.
He stayed behind the target for five minutes until the target was half way Over the bridge. The target stopped and faced out. Suddenly the target grabbed the railing and climbed over. The target was going to do the assets work for him. He would be severely punished if the target was killed by anything Other than his own hands. Suddenly instinct took over. He yelled
"Wait don't do this" the target glanced at him, this was the first time he had seen the targets face. The target looked tired and worn down.
"Trust me I need to do this" she replied. The asset had never been in this position before, he had to pretend to care so he made something up.
"No you don't, I was the same way once" he lied. This got the targets attention now he had to convince her to not do it.
"I hit rock bottom about two years ago, I had nothing to live for, nothing. But life got better, life always gets better and it will for you! Your young , you have a whole life in front of you, so please please don't jump" he wasn't sure where this incredible lie was originating but it was working.
"When you've been through whatever been through you forget about happy endings" the asset was unsure of what the target was saying, the background on the file was unknown. He needed to show affection to gain her trust.
"What's your name sweetheart" even the word sweetheart made him shiver. He knew the answer but she replied anyways.
"Harper"
"Hi Harper, I'm....I'm John" firstly it felt very weird to be saying her name and he couldn't say my name is the The Winter Soldier.  The asset was very much out of his comfort zone.
"Harper I've been where you've been, don't do it , trust me life gets easier" he lied again, it was working. For some reason he started to walk over to her until he was quite close.
"Please" he whispered.
"Okay, I trust you...John" he replied to his surprise. He held her arm, noting how boney she was, and helped her over and she whispered a thanks.
Now he was really out of his comfort zone, he wanted to just kill her and get it over and done with but he had to do it, not anyone else and not herself.

A/N
I'm sorry if this chapter was a bit sensitive to some, I wasn't planning on it being this sad.
Please give it a bit of 💙 of you love Bucky Barnes!
N x