Winter's Father

Chapter 2

              Winter Soldier
   I could hear the cryo rising. The frost clears and I can finally see in front of me. No telling how long they have kept me in there.
 
   I had no clue what was going to happen. I could be assigned a mission right away or they could just wipe me. I don't know why they wipe me. There's nothing important to remember. It's just
mission after mission. I guess they think it's unhealthy to remember the faces and screams of my victims.

   They help me out of the cryo and bring me to, I think his name is Karmic, or Karpov, or something like that. He's the guy who assigns my missions. Well, one of them.

   "Lucky for you soldier, we have no time for the magic words." He said, surprisingly speaking English. "There's a recruit on the loose and the boss wants you to retrieve him." He finished. I just stood there, listening to his orders.

  I was about to leave for my assignment when he grabbed my shoulder, the one that my metal arm was attached to. "He wants him alive." He said, making sure I understood him. It was unlikely for me to retrieve someone alive. Then he let me go into the facility.

   Track down target. Engage on target. Bring target back alive. That's what was going through my head. I made sure I knew to bring him back alive.

   Some other agents were trying to find him too. When I went by them, they would keep on going, or just stop and look at me with a scared look in their eyes. I was used to being looked at like that.

   I couldn't find a trace of the missing recruit. I looked everywhere, but couldn't find a thing. So I just stopped and listened. It was quiet. Then I heard someone running my way on the left. I started in that direction. The footsteps would get louder and louder.

   Then we saw each other for the first time. It was a boy around the age of nine. He immediately stopped and his eyes were filled with fear. We stood there like that for a few seconds until he turned and ran off. I took off after him.

   The boy was fast, but I was faster. We ran almost halfway across the facility. I finally cornered him. He was really frightened. He was breathing really hard too. Then something weird crossed my mind.

   Don't do it. He's just a kid.

   I don't know where it came from. I went to grab him, but the thought made me hesitate.

   "What are you waiting for?" A voice said, coming out of my earpiece. I shook my head and grabbed the kid. He flinched when I squeezed his arm. Then I realized that I grabbed him with my left arm. And for some reason, I switched to my flesh one.

   I dragged the kid all the way back to Karpov. When I got there, Alexander Pierce was there too. I threw the kid to the guard standing next to them. "Well done." Pierce said, looking at me.

   "I have some work I want you to do." Pierce said, still talking to me. "You're going to train this boy." He continued. "Train?" Karpov asked. "You heard me. It's going to start tomorrow morning  at eight sharp." Pierce answered.

   The boy was staring at me. I stared back at him for a little bit, then gave my attention back to Pierce and Karpov.

   Then the kid acted like he couldn't breath. He was gasping for air. "Take him to the doctor." Pierce ordered the guard. "Well, soldier your mission is complete." Karpov said, but I ignored him. My full attention was on the kid, who was still looking at me as they dragged him to the doctor.

   "I said mission complete." Karpov said again with anger in his voice. I obeyed him this time, and followed him back to my special room.

    I hope the kid's okay.

   Another random thought ran through my mind. But some part of me really did want that.