Melioration ~ James Buchanan Barnes

OO1 ~ What have you done to me?

It has taken you all day but you're finally done. You smile, pleased twinkles dancing in your eyes with sweat droplets on your forehead and your goggles on the top of your head. Your hair is in a messy bun and the sleeves of your labcoat are rolled up to your elbows. 

It was a difficult job but you're satisfied. And you're just in time too because your new asset is waking up again. Fortunately for you, he's not in a raging mood this time. You made sure of that when he was caught again that he was drugged too. 'Welcome back, Sergeant Barnes.' You say, adjusting the final things on his new arm. His eyes flash to yours and then with curiosity at his new arm which is fully functional and movable by his nerve system. 

You haven't "wiped" him yet since you're too curious of what he remembers and in what state he's in. 'What have you done to me?' He asks, his voice raspy and soft. You laugh, sitting down on the stool near his chair. 'My dear James. I made you better. Improved you. You're my melioration and you're going to help me get what I want.' He looks up to you, a hint of fear in his eyes. You're different, more intimidating than all the other Hydra soldiers he has worked for.

'Now tell me, Sergeant. What do you remember?' You ask him while walking over towards the sink to wash your hands. 'Remember? Remember what?' He looks really lost. 'Yes, James. What do you remember from the past? Your assignments, victims, everything.' You dry your hands and turn around so you can lean against the sink. You're not letting him out of your sight. 

'I remember every single one of them.' He mumbles and takes a good look at his arm again. It's stronger now and he acknowledges that already. This is good. This is very good. 

'Fascinating!' You grab his chin forcefully and shine into his eyes with a small light. You watch how his pupils adapt to the light and how they follow it when moving it from left to right. This really is your greatest experiment yet. 

'But let's not dwell on the past, shall we? I need you to get me what I want and according to your file, you are the one that can really pull this job off. That's why I woke you up.' But what do you need is the million dollar question of course and you see him staring at you with slight curiosity. However, he doesn't ask you anything.

'I don't want to do this anymore. Kill me, put me back on ice or let me go. I don't want to work for Hydra anymore.' How cute. He thinks he has a choice in the matter. 'I won't let you go off the hook that easy, Sergeant.' Your fingers slowly trailing up his metal arm. 'And it surprises me that you are not even asking me what it is that you need to retrieve for me.' You say with tilted head and a malicious grin on your lips. 

It's silent between the two of you for a minute before you start talking again. 'Alright. Since you didn't see that as a motivation to ask me, I will just tell you. Are you familiar with the Avengers?' He shakes his head and you mentally face-palm yourself. Of course he doesn't know them because he has been on ice for the past decade. Last time he was awake was somewhere in the 90's and well, you weren't active for the organization back then and the Avengers didn't exist yet. 

'The Avengers are, as Director Fury from Shield says, a remarkable group of people or in Tony Stark's words, Earth mightiest heroes. In my opinion, they aren't all that much. Anyway, they have this thing in their possession that I want. I can use its power for great things that can make Hydra thrive! We can outgrow Shield with it and become more powerful than them. So, what you need to get for me is the Scepter with the Mind-Stone in it. It was once wielded by Loki, the God of Mischief when he tried to take over our planet. I need the stone, Sergeant. And you're going to get it for me.' 

Something inside of him snaps and he succeeds in ripping his stronger restraints off. It frightens you and you hastily grab the red book with the trigger words. If you don't start chanting them, he will sure as hell kill you and all of this would be for nothing.

'Longing!' You start, watching his eye twitch a little but he is still moving towards you. 'Rusted!' The words have no particular meaning to you but you know this should re-program the soldier in front of you. 'Furnace.' He shakes his head forcefully while throwing your stool through the room with you stepping backwards, feeling the wall against your back. 'Daybreak!' Panic is forming in your mind as you see no progress of this method. 'Seventeen!' Now you start to see something that takes away your fear bit by bit. This could work.

'Benign.' Oh yes. He is stopping, grasping for his head. 'Stop it! Please! I'm begging you!' But you don't stop. You have him right where you want him, at your mercy. 'Nine.' You continue, your signature smile back on your features. 'Homecoming.' He falls to his knees, letting out groans of pain. You can imagine his mind twisting and hurting him to obey to your every need. 'One.' You're almost there, just one more word. 'Freight car.' And that's where something really starts to change.

The fear in his eyes vanishes, so does any form of emotion and he quickly rises to his feet while keeping his head low in respect of the one who called out the words. 'Soldier?' You ask, just in case. The greatest answer ever rolls over his lips and you're ready to change the world.