Bound By Purpose

1963: The Winter Soldier

I move my chained hands quickly into the pockets of the dead man beside me looking for any form of weapon. Not finding anything in the front I quickly tip him to the side and then onto his chest. There is a small sheath accompanied by a dagger. I quickly slide it out and then rush to my cell door. He did lock it behind him, but I just need to wait for someone to come looking.

I can hear commotion on the other side of the door so I ready myself beside it with my arm drawn up ready to strike the person through. I'm surprised though as the masked man from before comes through. He looks from the body on the floor to me. I don't stand down until he comes to me with a key. His hands are freezing even in the cold room his fingers ice my skin. "Are you American?" I ask, confused to why he would be helping me. "British? Canadian?" He still refuses to answer. I don't push any farther because somehow I know he's going to help me even if he is a red.

I let him unchain my hands, and I dramatically push my arms wide in order to stretch them. He steps back out into the hallway without any other motion towards me. I follow him silently. No alarms have been raised yet. He has to be a double agent for an ally. Doesn't he? He continues to lead me through a maze of corridors. He knows the place well because he's managed to lead me undetected through the shadows in relatively empty parts of the base. We're traveling at a brisk pace so as he stops quickly at a well lit hallway he turns with quick precision and stops me in my tracks just by putting an arm to my shoulder. He helps me within two steps to put my back against the wall. I put my head down slightly as two armed guards slowly drudge past. It's not until they've completely gone that I relax myself. The soldier is still holding me against the wall but he's looking at me now, deeply as if he's studying me. 

"Who are you?"  I ask again. He shakes his head snapping himself out of his studies. He silently moves his arm off my shoulder, and turns back to the hallway. "If you're going to help me out you should come with me." I sense him stiffen suddenly, I watch from behind as he shakes his head no suddenly. Still silent, as if he doesn't breathe he steps out and takes a hard left. I follow close on his heels. We slow down a bit as we pass a few windows that give me a view of a caged room. The guards from before obviously came from here as the systems inside are shutting down. I catch a few glances of lab equipment as I move quickly past. I also see an intimidating chair and some other things I'd seen in other places that go hand in hand with brainwashing. I stop and press myself against the glass hoping for a better angle inside. There isn't any damning evidence, and even if there was I doubt I'd be able to convince anyone at home to raid this place. 

First I need to get out of here. As soon as the thought crosses my mind a high pitched alarm screams its way through the hallway. The base come alive once again as I expect they found the dead man in my cell. I take a step back from the glass and then the lights all go dark in the hallway, all except the red blinking lights. I ready to run, but I almost hit the backside of the soldier. He's standing perfectly still as if he's at attention. I don't know what to do. I look from him to the room with the chair and put it together. I slowly side step around him so I won't startle him. When I come into his view I see his fingers on his right hand twitch. I can hear people coming from all directions now. "We need to leave." I say firmly. "You can come with me. I can help you heal." When he does nothing I shake my head. I really want to take him with me, but if he won't help me than I'm as good as dead unless I make a break for it myself. I turn towards the nearest door in hopes of maybe finding a place to hide or run, but within one quick movement his icy fingers have caught my wrist. He's obviously lost himself. I shake my head slowly at him. "This isn't who you are." In all honesty I have no idea who he is or used to be, but when he was coming too a little I could see a freedom in his eyes. He had to have been for the allied cause, before whatever happened to him did.

He startles me again by flying his hand to my throat. With a force that crush me in an instant he lifts me off the ground and flies to the wall where he pins me against it. I struggle against him by flailing my arms and legs. I bring my right fist down hard on his arm holding me. Instead of him loosening his grip the force reverberates through my hand and up my arm. It felt like solid metal. The eyes no longer have a freedom about them, there is no sparkle there. They are filled with determination and rage now. We knew that the Russians and Germans had the capabilities for brainwashing, but to see it so unstable... Suddenly he drops me to the floor. I can't see any reason for it as I draw in as much oxygen as I can. I cough and sputter until I see boots beside me. Looking up I see barrels of at least 15 guns on me as well as the scientist from before, who knows who I am. I turn over to my back and slowly sit up and then stand. I'm light headed and my vision is blurry, but I need to remain calm. 

"Ms. Moore." He begins. "I see you've met our soldier here." I look around for any way out. The guns are still trained on me. The soldier has gone back to attention almost as if he's being controlled by a remote. "You're a long way from home Eve." 

"You don't get to call me that." I say stepping forward. "Agent Moore is fine." I smile a bit. Nothing would be lost if I die here today, or tomorrow, or the next. "You haven't told me why you want me here."  I take another step forward now within reach of the scientist. This time he raises his gun, right to my shoulder. The same one that was shot years and years ago. He smiles. I hadn't seen it behind the new lines of age, this was the man, who on my first mission shot me with a serum, nearly made me die, and did hell knows what to James those days after. Suddenly a rage accompanies my thoughts of what went on. I clench my fists.

"Ah yes now she remembers." He says. I step right up to the barrel of the gun. 

"I remember." I figured he's died in the Red Skulls fury that day, but apparently not. "I survived." I taunt. "James, the man you took for your little experiments, he survived too." I see the man's eyes shift behind me to the soldier quickly, but then back to me. 

"Where is he fräuline?" I grit my teeth, not wanting to give him satisfaction. "The Great Captain America is all but gone as well. No  think your time is done." He pulls back the hammer and then pulls the trigger. My shoulder is ripped open again, the pink and hard scar tissue destroyed yet again. My knees buckle and I drop to the floor reeling from the stress faced with throughout the days. Now on my hands and knees I watch the white floor below turn red as my blood drizzles. "As for what we're going to do with you... I suppose information will suffice." He turns to leave but not before I lurch out and grab his ankle. He goes down hard. I don't know what my plan was, I just wanted to hurt him. No sooner had he hit the floor before a million hands are on me. two hold me between them as another hits me square in the stomach and then across the face. 

For whatever reason my mind takes me back to an ally in New York. Steve refusing to stay down. I smile, I'm staring at the floor, but the scientist grabs me by the chin and forces me to look up. "Why are you smiling?"

"Because..." I croak out. "You lost." He nods and then steps back as I'm repeatedly smacked until I can no longer keep the smile or hold back the tears.