Monster [Book One]

Chapter 6

Have fun!

Chapter Quote:

“You shaped the century. And I need you to do it one more time...”

~Alexander Pierce in Captain America: The Winter Soldier

________________________________

Chapter 6

Another three years passed; I’d worked on the Winter Soldier six times during that period.  It was the middle of October when I was summoned by Pierce to go take care of the Winter Soldier.  Funny, considering I’d checked him out a week ago.  It was strange to me that they’d sent him on a mission so soon after his last one.  It didn’t make sense, but my excitement over getting to see him again overruled my conscience which was telling me something was wrong.  Rumlow escorted me to the building.  He seemed anxious.  He kept fidgeting, prompting me to finally demand, “What’s a matter with you?”

“Nothing,” he replied, but his fidgeting ceased instantly.

“Sure.  Nothing,” I muttered, looking out the window.  When we arrived, I went down to the secret basement deep underground with Rumlow.  There were no instructions to be needed; I knew what to do.  I went straight into the room where the Winter Soldier was located.

“Hello Soldier, my name is Annabeth Drew.  I’m here to take care of you.  Do you mind if I do so?” He shook his head. “Wonderful.  I’m going to run basic logistics on your arm, see if there’s anything damaged in it so I can repair it and I’m also going to make sure you aren’t shot or have debris shredding your back like this one time I took care of you.  Now that was not a fun day for either of us.  Do you mind if I sing while I work?  It helps me focus.” Silence met my ears so I assumed it was okay.  So, humming “If I Die Young,” I got to work.  Surprisingly, his physical body didn’t have much damage, just a few bruises.  It was his metal arm that had the issues.  Somehow, the wires had gotten all tangled up which was causing him almost full immobility. He could move it up and down but that was the extent of it; he couldn’t move his wrist, he couldn’t bend his arm at all, he couldn’t move it forwards and backwards, and more.  The Winter Soldier remained utterly still, and every time I looked at him, it was as if he’d never changed where he was looking: straight ahead.  But I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching me.

A few seconds later,  I heard the door open to the lab.  I’d been setting down some pliers (there was a metal scrap lodged in his arm; how it got there, I don’t want to know) when the gunshot rang out.  I knew exactly who it was for but I had no time to react.  I prayed it would be a quick death, but knowing HYDRA, they’d want me to suffer.  Pain tore through my shoulder; a scream erupted from my throat.  I bent down, black spots dotting my vision.  A second gunshot blasted just as metal flashed in front of me.  The sound of metal going into metal made me cringe.  I looked up.  The Winter Soldier had his arm extended in front of me, protecting the part of my body where the bullet had been supposed to go.

My head.

Pierce strode in.  I glanced over at him before turning back to the soldier. “Thank you,” I said.

“Grab her,” Pierce ordered.  Strong arms grasped around my shoulders and waist.  I started screaming and kicking, anything to get out of the grasp.  The Secretary of S.H.I.E.L.D. walked up to me.  His hand cracked across my face, causing my whole body to jerk to the side from the impact.  I gasped. “Shut up,” he commanded.  Pierce turned around and went to the Winter Soldier. “All right, this has gone on long enough.  Miss Drew will no longer be taking care of you.  And, if you decide to harm any other doctors who take care of you, we’ll kill her.  Understood?” The Winter Soldier nodded. “Good.  Take her out of here.”