Constant Vigilance (The Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes)

Chapter 2

After three hours of walking in the opposite direction, I decided to take a break. I didn't know where I was, or how far away I was. Looking up at the sky I noticed, the sun was beginning to rise illuminating the forest. I walked, nearing a chain-link fence with barbed wire decorating the top, the silver shimmering in the sun. I didn't have memories of this place, but something inside me told me it was where I needed to be.

I walked closer to the fence touching the wire with my left arm. I could hear the humming of the electricity on the wires yet felt nothing through the cold metal. Taking my left arm off the wire, I brought my right hand closer, lightly tapping the wire. After figuring out how much electricity the wire held, I grabbed hold of another wire spreading the two pieces in opposite directions, squeezing through the small gap I had created, the soft electricity humming. I continued walking through the dirt towards an old warehouse-like building. Time had taken its toll on the building; crusts of paint were missing from the walls revealing the dull grey metal the house was made up of. Behind that one house, rows more hid. Covered in dirt and old paint, identical to the one closest to me.

The houses had no obvious entrance, no windows, no air vents, no sign of life. They were solid black and grey squares lined up evenly spreading across the field contained inside the fence. As I neared one of the houses, I could see faint symbols scribbled onto the building sides. One of them, the S.H.I.E.L.D symbol, a black eagle with a white border. I gritted my teeth as I noticed the second one was the HYDRA symbol. Painful memories flashed through my mind, I closed my eyes, inhaling and swallowing the memories as if they were bile. The third symbol, I didn't recognise. It was a wingless dragon, a blue square surroundings its body. It had many heads, 20-30 thick, diamond shaped skulls, a slither of fire escaping each of their mouths. I inhaled sharply, staring intently at this new symbol unsure of the trouble it will cause.

I continued to search the house, my worn out boots covered in mud. As I continued to step heavily, my boot landed unevenly on the ground and I stumbled forward slightly, I looked down at the ground seeing a spot where the earth decided to cave in. Brushing some of the dirt off the area of the field, I bent down analysing the spot of hard floor. A dull grey handle was attached to a flat metal surface. I brushed the dirt off of the surface looking at my discovery; I pulled on the handle, the smell of wet concrete and blood invading my senses. Squinting at the inside of the door, I noticed the same blue symbol of the wingless dragon with many heads was carved on the inside of the door with a knife. The person who had done the work was careful, shaping the heads and body to utmost perfection.

Looking down, I noticed the trap door I had discovered had a ladder attached to a wall. Looking down into the dark abyss, I wasn't sure what was at the bottom. I swung my left leg onto the first rung, holding onto the ground for support. Swinging my other leg onto the rung, I started to climb down the ladder my hands gripping the bars tightly. As I climbed down the ladder, the area around me seemed to illuminate, I could make out my shadow on the pale grey walls. Reaching the bottom, I jumped off the ladder, the sound of my boots hitting the ground echoing around the small, square shaped room.

Taking in my surroundings, I noticed the room I was in was set up as an office. Maps decorated the walls, pins lodged into certain cities. A desk was in the centre of the room, books and papers spread across it, some of the papers lay on the tiled floor. There was a door to the right of the desk, and a row of shelves on the left. It would have been a normal office if there weren't a black safe, roughly the size of a shoebox embedded into the back wall, directly behind the desk. Blue light seeped through the small spaces in the safe. As curiosity took over, I walked closer towards the safe, removing my M4a1 from its secure spot on my back.

Nearing the safe, the blue light got stronger, the pain in my head growing as memories started to flash behind my eyelids. Taking deep breaths I walked closer to the safe ignoring the aching racking my brain. I reached my right arm out, holding the rifle in my left, fingers nearing the keypad. When I was held as a prisoner of HYDRA doing their dirty work, they had tried many serums on my body not sure if I would end up surviving. One of those serums had enhanced my vision. Looking closer at the keypad, four out of the ten numbers had slightly faded, 6,1,2 and 9 were the most pressed numbers on the keypad. It had to be a combination of those four numbers.

2169. The safe flashed a red colour and beeped loudly, 'access denied - 3 attempts left* it said on a small screen above the keypad.

9261. The safe flashed a bright red again and beeped, 'access denied - 2 attempts left*.

1926. The red light was replaced with a bright green and the small screen read 'access granted'.

The safe door popped open, blue light filling the entire room. I lifted one of my arms up to shield my eyes from the bright light, my eyes slowly adjusting. After my eyes had fully adjusted I analysed the object inside the safe. It was enclosed in a rectangle of clear glass; gold handles on either side of the glass were carved with a variety of different symbols I didn't know. Inside the glass lay a simple cube of blue light. Steady, the light inside of it like small bolts of endless electricity. I was so absorbed in the blue light I didn't notice the door behind me opening.

"Ah, the legendary Winter Soldier" I snapped around, shutting the safe in the process. I raised my rifle, pointing it at the person's heart. "Too soon? Sorry, shouldn't have snuck up on you like that, you being a master assassin and all" She said smirking. I took in her appearance, staring at her bright green eyes, long, curly brown hair and bright red lipstick. She wore a uniform, the unknown symbol sewn onto the left pocket. As I looked at her face more carefully, I noticed a long scar stretching from her temple, over her sharp cheekbone, ending in line with the centre of her eye. She stood at the door, her arms calmly at her sides treating the gun as if it weren't there, the smirk still plastered on her pale complexion.

I stared at her, my gaze unwavering as I slowly lowered the gun realising she wasn't any real threat.

"You can keep that pointed at me if it makes you feel any better" she said with a light laugh.

"I don't think you're much of a threat" I responded, my voice sounded foreign in my own ears. I was unsure of how she could be confident in my presence; yet slightly glad she wasn't afraid of me. She raised her eyebrow and laughed. She flicked her right wrist slightly sending me flying towards her; I landed roughly on the ground staring up at her in disbelief.

"What about now" she responded smiling, reaching her arm out to help me up. I ignored her offer of help, getting up on my own feeling frustrated.

"How?" I asked forcefully, I didn't mean to sound as demanding, yet didn't try and apologise.

"Telekinesis" She replied smoothly, "I could flick my wrist right now and send you flying into that wall" she said pointing at the wall with all the shelves.

I stared at her, figuring out if she was serious or simply joking. "Who are you, and where am I?" I said carefully, unsure whether the question would get me thrown into the nearest wall.

She smiled, her white teeth glowing. "I'm Cyra, Welcome to the Ladon headquarters".

A/N: It's finally up! I am truly sorry for the massive (I believe 3 week) delay. I have been having heaps of exams and hadn't had time to update. I realise that is a total asshat thing to do, and I promise you won't have to wait that long again. Word count: 1474. Comment, Vote and Follow ! :) xo