Caretaker - What If...?

Part 6

You, Bucky and Steve had all been captured and taken into custody. Bucky was locked up in a glass cage. You hated it. You had hoped that maybe he wouldn't have to be treated like this anymore, but obviously you were wrong.

You sat in an interrogation room for questioning. Getting caught trying to escape after living with the Winter Soldier for a couple weeks doesn't look all that great in the eyes of the government.

Everet Ross entered the room and set his glass of water on the table.

"So," he started, "you were a former agent of SHIELD before you quit and nearly disappeared from the system. Why is that?" he asked as he sat down in a chair across from you.

You took a deep breath before starting. "I was forced to quit. In 1990, HYDRA took me captive and made me work as the Winter Soldier's caretaker." you answered.

"But, if you were forced to work for HYDRA, why would you go to live with the Winter Soldier in Romania?" he asked with a look on his face that read "I don't believe a word you just said."

"When I worked with him, we became good friends, mostly because he was the only one I worked with anymore. I saw the humanity in him that apparently no one else can see. After what happened in D.C., he came to my door and told me that he was going to run from HYDRA, but he didn't tell me where he was going. He said that if HYDRA ever started to come after me, to find him. They didn't start doing anything until two weeks ago, so I followed his instructions and found him." you explained.

Ross folded his arms across his chest. "So you've been by his side for the past two weeks?" he asked.

"Yes sir." you responded.

"Then how did he manage to pull off that stunt in Vienna?"

"He didn't." you quickly answered. Ross looked up at you waiting for an explanation. "Someone framed him. I don't know who or why, but it wasn't him. He doesn't do that anymore. We just found out about what happened this morning from the newspapers. None of what he did as the Winter Soldier was his fault. He was forced to work for HYDRA, just like me." you explained.

"Really?" Ross said with a laugh.

"I was there. I saw what they did to him. They brainwashed him and tortured him in order to turn him into their weapon. But they had to do it repeatedly. They did it so much, that he almost wasn't human anymore. I was the only one that he could be human with." you defended him.

Ross sighed and looked down at his feet. "Well, you were forced to work for HYDRA so I doubt you would serve any time for that. But I don't know about helping Barnes for the past two years. Even if you did get punished, it wouldn't be very much time." he said. He looked over at you again. "You can go." he said quietly.

"Thank you, sir." you replied, then left the room.