Universal Chaos

Chapter 9

The room held onto its tension even as Bucky let some of his go. Instead of looking combative now, he just looked lost. Confused. Every once in awhile he'd cast a perplexed look at Sutton, wrinkling his nose, before he'd zone out again.

She felt sympathy swell up for him from around her exhaustion. But it was better to have him thinking, pondering things, than to leave him in a cycle of unquestioned abuse, wasn't it?

If she could even hope to help him escape.

She knew Pierce had arrived when a new layer of tension settled over the room. The strike team shuffled to move out of the way and the barred door creaked open ominously.

He walked into the dark space with a confidence that said he expected all eyes to be on him. Sutton scowled at his immaculate suit and styled hair. He looked every bit the part of a rich, white businessman who demanded respect and gave none.

They closed the barred door behind him as he marched into the vault, attention set in front of him. He eyed Bucky clinically as he tucked a pair of glasses into his jacket pocket.

"Mission report."

Bucky didn't even look up. He just kept staring off somewhere in the distance. Pierce's eyes hardened.

"Mission report, now."

Still there was no response. Sutton was starting to dig her nails into her palms as Pierce bent at the knees to try and look into Bucky's eyes. He studied him for a moment. And then he reached back and backhanded him across the face. Sutton lurched forward, lip pulled back in a scowl.

"Hey! Don't hurt him!"
Pierce spared her a glance.

"I'll get to you in a minute," he said.

Bucky only blinked a few times as if the slap hadn't phased him much. His brows furrowed again in confusion.

"That man on the bridge," he said. "Who was he?"
Pierce paused a moment, thinking.

"You met him earlier this week on another assignment."

Sutton grit her teeth. Bucky cast a quick glance at her.

"She said he was my friend."

The glare Pierce grazed her with was chilling. Sutton only shakily raised her chin up higher in defiance. Pierce breathed in shallowly and pulled out a stool to sit on. As if this were all an inconvenience that they'd dealt him. As if Bucky cracking at the seams was just an irritating hassle to be handled.

"Your work has been a gift to mankind," he began. And Sutton was dizzy with anger. He spoke about "shaping a century" and her stomach roiled. When he mentioned HYDRA bringing the world freedom she felt absolutely sick.

"If this is what you're calling freedom, then you can keep it." If she had more energy, maybe she would have gotten up to confront him, but just sitting up was a feat in itself. "I've met monsters before, but," she shook her head, "at least they were honest about what they were."

Pierce's jaw ticked as he kept his stare focused on Bucky. Bucky shook his head almost imperceptibly, his lips pulling up tightly in a sad feign of a smile.

"I knew him."

It was as far from happy or cheerful smile as you could get. It was a look you gave when you've resigned yourself to something and you know it.

Pierce sighed and leaned back. Then he stood up.

"Get her out of here and prep him."

"He's been out of cryo too long," one of the scientists said.